


Freudian Slip

by lisaof9



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-07 22:18:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 33,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12850671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lisaof9/pseuds/lisaof9
Summary: An exhausted Kryptonian says the wrong thing at exactly the right time-thanks to her annoying sister-and it ends up changing her life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DiNovia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiNovia/gifts).



> This story was inspired by and based on a gif set made by Tumblr user iblamethenubbins. Posted to Tumblr [ here! ](http://iblamethenubbins.tumblr.com/post/166192313210/supergirl-incorrect-quotes-16)
> 
> Spoilers: Parts of S1. 
> 
> In my world, none of Season 2 or Season 3 will ever happen, and there was no arrival of male white privilege in a pod. Ever. There will be hints at future Sanvers.

Kara Danvers spent her first thirteen years on Krypton being seen wherever she went. She was Kara Zor-El, daughter of Alura In-Ze, the arbiter, and Zor El, one of Krypton’s leading scientists. Kara Zor-El was a prodigy in science, mathematics, languages and even art. When Kara entered a room, a hush fell over the gathered crowds and people spoke in reverent whispers. 

It didn’t seem odd to Kara because it had always been that way. When she went home at the end of the day, she listened respectfully as her parents discussed their experiences and work. Her parents would ask her opinions, and she would consider her words carefully before sharing them. She was loved, respected, and cherished. She lived in a world based on law, order and a strict adherence to social customs and familial duty. 

When Kara Zor-El’s world exploded, she was devastated, but she focused on her duty, her mission to follow her younger cousin Kal El to a distant planet called Earth. It was Kara’s reason to go on living when everything and everyone she knew were destroyed. 

Kara Zor-El had no idea that her ship had been knocked off course and into the gravity well of the phantom zone, her world’s prison colony. Twenty-four years later, Kara Zor-El continued her dreamless sleep as that same ship was knocked free and finished its journey to the blue and green planet where she was meant to raise baby Kal El. 

Kara Zor-El awoke as her ship neared Earth. She watched her pod’s approach, in awe of the beautiful planet and then in horror as her ship was enveloped by flames. Logically, she knew it was the friction of her ship’s entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Logic didn’t matter to a thirteen-year-old girl with no parents, no planet, and the heavy burden of finding her infant cousin and raising him in an alien world where she had to somehow blend in and provide for them both. 

Her ship hit the ground and threw plumes of brown soil into the air, reminiscent of the flames she’d experienced during entry into the atmosphere. Before she could recognize that the ship had stopped, the door was ripped open and she looked up at a man hidden in shadow, but wearing the crest of the House of El. Her first thought was that it was her father or her uncle, Jor El. The truth hit Kara Zor-El like a gut punch. 

He spoke in broken high-Kryptonian with an accent so strong it took her a few minutes to realize it was her own language. It hurt to hear this man speak in harsh tones that lacked the musical lilt of a native speaker. 

When she realized this man mangling her cherished language was in fact Kal El--that she had arrived too late to raise him, too late to teach him the joy of speaking Kryptonian as it was meant to heard, and too late to fulfill her duty--she lost her reason for surviving. That mission was her first loss on Earth. 

This man called himself Clark Kent, and even his name was as harsh and sharp as his tone when he spoke. After a day on Earth, Clark gave up and took her to the opposite side of the continent called North America. Clark left her with a pair of married scientists.  They had a daughter who was was two years older and a decade savvier than Kara. Her name was Alex, and Kara studied her as if she was the key to understanding Earth and its people. 

The second thing Kara lost was her name. She became Kara Danvers. She learned quickly that telling strangers she was Kara, second daughter of the House of Danvers, was not the custom of Earth. 

The third thing Kara lost was her sense of self. When she entered a public room, the rooms still went quiet, there were still hushed whispers, but now the words murmured were cold, mocking, and laced with cruelty. She floundered and frantically grabbed the only lifeline she had: Alex Danvers. 

Alex reacted to Kara’s desperation the same way a lifeguard reacts to a drowning man trying to climb on top of their rescuer. She shoved her away. 

That was the first time Kara didn’t listen to a direct order from one of the Danvers. Alex had told her, “Stay away from me.” Kara had no choice but to disobey. She followed Alex whenever possible, which led to other firsts. 

The first time that Kara saw a bird, she felt true joy for the first time since leaving her world. 

The first time that Kara realized her powers were not a curse, she saved a baby from an overturned car on a road near the beach. Seconds later, she understood how strongly she could feel guilt when she saw that her actions had injured Alex.

The first time Alex hugged Kara, Kara thought she might somehow survive all that she had lost. 

Kara followed Alex everywhere and wanted to be like her, but she also lived in the darkness of Alex’s shadow. 

Eliza and Jeremiah conditioned Kara to never stand out or to be too good at anything. When Kara took a chemistry test that she could have conquered as a toddler, she was careful to pick two or three answers to get wrong. When she took French in high School, she pretended to conjugate the verbs incorrectly, despite the fact that she’d mastered French, Italian, German, and Japanese over a three-day weekend she’d spent locked in her room with language tapes and dictionaries. 

Kara sat on the sidelines and watched the other children play sports. Eliza had provided doctor’s notes that detailed Kara’s fictitious crippling asthma and a heart condition that precluded her from any physical activities. She was forced to watch children who were deemed accomplished athletes--the same children who teased her and pushed her down when no one was looking--all the while knowing she could best them with minimal effort. 

She stayed average. 

The first time Kara Danvers saw Cat Grant, she thought she just might have developed the fabricated heart condition and the asthma. She felt like she couldn’t breathe and her chest squeezed tightly. She stared while Cat Grant paced in her glass office as if the most exquisite creature in the universe had been placed in a crystal cage for all the world to admire. Cat Grant carried herself like a Kryptonian, and it made Kara’s heart clench. It was painful to look at her, but Kara needed to be near her, to witness the casual grace, the confident bearing, and the magnetism of the woman. 

When Cat Grant looked at Kara like she was an entitled millennial, Kara found a use for her years of suppressing her own exceptionalism. She boldly lied to Cat Grant and told her she was not special. Kara then told Cat Grant her most sacred truth: that she just wanted to be useful. 

Kara was more Danvers than El by then, and she was didn’t even realize she had powers half the time because she naturally suppressed them. Sure, she could walk up thirty flights of stairs without raising her heart rate, but that didn’t really matter. 

The first time Kara used her powers in National City, it was because of Alex. The thought of losing her sister made Kara toss all caution aside. 

After that day, there were so many more firsts, Kara stopped counting them. 

When Kara told Alex that Cat Grant suspected she was Supergirl, Alex knew there was more to the story. 

“Kara.” Alex looked at Kara and inhaled slowly, then exhaled. The sound of the air traveling through her nasal passages told Kara her sister was far beyond angry. 

“Alex, she won’t tell anyone. Honestly, I think she’s known since the night I rescued your plane.” Kara smiled sheepishly. She bit her lip. “Then again, maybe she doesn’t know?” 

Alex took another deep breath and squeezed her hands into tight fists. She opened her hands wide as she exhaled. When she finally had her anger under control, she gave Kara her most compassionate smile.  “What exactly makes you think she knows?” 

“Well, um…” Kara giggled and shrugged her shoulders. “Funny thing, she, ah, she asked me out for drinks.” 

Alex raised one eyebrow. 

Kara rolled her eyes. “Not sexually!” 

Alex’s expression shifted from concerned to abject glee. “ _That’s_ the first thing that came to your mind?”  She backed up and began to laugh as she shook her head. 

“Not me!” Kara insisted. “You! It was written on your sex-obsessed face.” Kara pointed at her sister. 

Alex leaned against the island in her kitchen and smirked at Kara. “That was all you, sis.” She laughed until she snorted. 

“Al-ex!” Kara whined. The fact that she was blushing the color of her cape did not help her in the slightest. 

“Are you sure Cat suspects you’re Supergirl, or does she suspect you’d be receptive to her overtures…” Alex waggled her eyebrows. “Sexually.” 

“She doesn’t think of me that way,” Kara said with a bitter tone. 

Alex took another calming breath. “How long have you been crushing on your boss?” 

“Well, it’s really more of a professional hero worshiping thing…” Kara shrugged again. 

“Sexually,” Alex added happily. She held her hands up in surrender. “Fine. The sexual attraction you have for your hot, cougar boss can be tabled until later. Why do you think she suspects?” 

Kara moved closer and leaned against the counter next to Alex. “Well, she never really asked about me before, you know…” She made a flying motion with one hand. “Now she said she wants to get to know me.” 

Alex giggled. 

“Don’t,” Kara warned, but even she was smiling at her sister’s glee. “Fine. Get it out of your system. Cat wants to get to know me… _sexually_.” Kara rolled her eyes and added air quotes. 

“See?” Alex said. “It’s kind of awesome. I think we should add it to every sentence, like, from now onward.” She cringed. “But not between us, because, eww.” 

Kara shuddered. “Right there with you. The last thing I need to hear over my ear piece is ‘Supergirl, I need you’…" 

“Eww,” Alex repeated. She gave Kara her full attention. “What happened when you went out for drinks?” 

“She gave me advice, told me about her experiences when she was younger.” She hit Alex’s shoulder. “…and oh my god! Now, I’m doing it.” 

“It’s a gift,” Alex said happily. She waited for Kara to compose herself. “Did she ask you about Supergirl?” 

Kara shook her head. “It’s just--she looks at me differently, now, as Kara.” 

“How?” Alex asked. 

“Like she looks at Supergirl,” Kara said quietly. 

“Sexually,” Alex said, not remotely joking. “Kara, I’ve seen when you come floating down next to Cat in public. I swear I thought she was going to swoon once.” 

Kara shook her head. “She would never think of me that way.” She sighed. “She’s my boss, and Cat has far too much integrity to have a relationship with such an imbalance of power.” 

“Relationship?” Alex was grinning again. She pointed at her sister. “You have thought about this! What, you think she’ll be your Lois Lane?” 

“No!” Kara said, but her blush was back in fine form. “Lois just nags Clark. Cat is, well, she’s… inspiring, and she makes me want to be better, to do better…” 

“Sexually,” Alex said in a stage whisper. 

“It’s never gonna happen,” Kara said miserably. She looked down at the floor. “Remember when I told you my parents had arranged my marriage?” She asked the question so quietly Alex had to lean forward to hear it. 

“Yeah,” Alex said gently. 

Kara lifted her face and looked into Alex’s eyes. Tears spilled halfway down Kara’s cheeks. “And that they’d picked my partner based on our genetic compatibility, the one the matrix computer decided was perfect for me?” 

Alex nodded. “It must have been awful leaving him behind. Had you met him?” 

Kara shook her head. “I met _her_ parents once, just a brief introduction.” She swallowed and sighed. “I was thirteen, and _she_ was twenty, and because of the age difference, we were forbidden from meeting until I turned twenty-four.” She sighed. “Kryptonian brains are fully mature at twenty-four,” she added quietly. 

Two things occurred to Alex in that moment. One, Kara had been genetically paired with an older woman, and two, Kara had turned twenty-four several months earlier. “And now you’re the age you could have met her. Is that why you have this sudden crush?” 

Kara shook her head. “I’m attracted to Cat because she is exactly the type of person my genes are coded to desire. That part’s not decided by the matrix. The matrix blends parental DNA based on what it considers important for procreation, things like intelligence and aptitude. Personality traits are just random chance.” She sighed and looked down. “It just so happens that my genes prefer a take-charge older woman.” She looked at Alex and smiled sadly. “Sexually.” 

Alex draped an arm around Kara’s shoulder. “You could have told me, you know, that you were supposed to marry a woman.” She was silent as Kara looked away. “I just assumed, heteronormative ethnocentrism and all. Plus, well, I thought you were all about James?” 

Kara closed her eyes. “I tried so hard.” She exhaled. “I thought that maybe if I could like him, at least one thing about me would be normal.” 

“Whoa.” Alex stepped and away and moved in front of Kara. “Liking a woman does not make you abnormal,” Alex lifted Kara’s chin. “Sweetie, of all the things you learn from this planet, please do not let our uptight gender roles and repressed sexuality be the ones that stick." 

“I know,” Kara said calmly. “That’s not the real problem.” 

Alex raised both eyebrows, waiting for her to elaborate. 

“The biggest problem is that Cat wants Supergirl, and all I will ever be is Kiera.” Kara laughed humorlessly. “She definitely does not have any interest in Kiera, sexually.” 

“Let’s put that on the back burner,” Alex said. “As your doctor, I am prescribing two half-gallons of ice cream, and four to five episodes of trashy TV shows on Netflix.” 

Kara smirked. “Two half-gallons?” she asked. “Isn’t that called a gallon?” 

“Shut up,” Alex shoved Kara, but Kara didn’t move a centimeter.  “The next time you land on Cat’s balcony, be sure to tell her she inspires you…” 

“Sexually,” Kara said in mocking tone. 

~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~ 

During the days, Kara continued being the perfect assistant, and during the nights, Alex continued to tease her. It actually provided a comforting sense of normalcy. Plus, even though she knew Cat would never return her feelings, she was able to use the childish teasing as a type of catharsis. 

Months later, a string of attacks gave Kara several difficult weeks. She was running on less than a few hours of sleep over the course of five days. Alex noticed that her sister was looking tired, so she insisted that Kara take the day off of work to spend a full eight hours under the sunlamps, sleeping. Kara refused. 

The prisoners from Fort Rozz were pummeling Kara during every encounter. They had kryptonite weapons, and suits that made the DEO’s kryptonite weapons useless. 

Cat was on a rampage, demanding that everyone double their efforts to get information on the threats. After Astra had hovered in the air next to CATCO, Cat’s mood soured more than it had the year Lois Lane showed up at the Pulitzer awards in the same custom-made dress as Cat. 

Kara was soothing ruffled feathers on all forty floors, and she wished the solution was as simple as it had been when she’d shown up at the Pulitzer ceremony with Cat’s emergency backup dress. 

She made her way to the sixth floor, bypassing the elevator and streaking down the emergency stairwell. She retrieved the freshly edited front cover for the CATCO magazine and raced back to the stairwell. 

Even as she ran up the stairs, she scanned the glossy cover. “No,” she whined. There were errors, and then there were career-ending disasters. This typo was so bad, she wondered if it had been intentional. She stopped and glared at the cover, her anger bubbling to the surface easily courtesy of her frazzled nerves and the fact that she was actually tired from running up a mere thirty-four floors. 

The cover story was a one-on-one interview Cat had done with President Marsdin, and the title was supposed to read, “This woman’s place is in the White House.” What it said instead, was, “A woman’s place is in her home.” 

Kara knew if she took the cover to Cat, the entire department would be fired. She stared at the image angrily.  It was their third attempt to get it right.   

Kara sighed and jogged back down toward the art department. She paused when she heard Cat on the fortieth floor, angrily calling out for ‘Kiera.’” 

“Shoot,” Kara said. She changed direction and used a burst of power to fly up the stairwell, but she stumbled when her feet touched the landing. She pushed open the door and hurried toward Cat’s office. “Yes, Miss Grant?” 

“Kiera!” Cat glared at Kara. “I had to call you twice.”  She rested a hand on her svelte hip.  “Hmpt,” Cat muttered as she spun, sat behind her desk, and held her hand in the air. 

Kara stared at Cat’s hand, knowing she was expected to put the ‘perfect’ cover into her upturned palm. 

Cat looked up, and ran her gaze from Kara’s feet to her eyes. When she made eye contact she shifted her gaze to the cover currently crumpled against the gentle swell of Kara’s breasts. “I know you’ve taken up a few hobbies around town, but I expect you to at least attempt to do your job.” 

Kara adjusted her glasses, and then wiped her hand, which was actually sweating, on her pant leg. “I just picked this up a few minutes ago,” Kara said without handing the cover to Cat. 

Cat leaned back in her chair and gave Kara another full-body visual survey. “And why wasn’t it in my hand mere seconds later?” 

Kara froze in place and smiled nervously. 

Cat adjusted her own glasses and looked down at the layout on her desk. “Apparently, my belief in you was a miscalculation.” She made a tsk tsk sound. “Well, even Supergirl can’t live up to everyone’s expectations.” Cat’s voice was huskier than usual, as if she were truly disappointed. 

“Please, Miss Grant,” Kara began, panicking earnestly. “I want to live up to your expectations, sexually.” 

Cat’s hand froze in midair. She slowly lifted her head and looked at Kara with a stunned expression. She started to speak, but couldn’t, and her mouth hung partially open. Cat Grant was speechless. 

It took a few heartbeats for Kara to register that she had just given her Alex-approved answer to Cat Freaking Grant. She closed her eyes briefly, praying that she was at the DEO asleep under the sunlamps. When she opened her eyes, Cat had not moved. In fact, Kara thought the CEO might have actually stopped breathing. 

“Oh, no,” Kara said, as her face went crimson. “Please tell me I did not say that out loud.” 

That spurred Cat out of her shock. “You did.” Cat took off her glasses and tossed them onto her desk. “Kiera, balcony. Now.” She stood and walked to the balcony without a second look back. 

Kara followed dutifully, and since this was probably the last time she’d follow Cat anywhere, she took a long look at the true masterpiece that was the view of Cat Grant quickly walking away in a tight black pencil skirt, a gauzy white top that allowed the hint of her bra to tease through, and four-inch Jimmy Choo pumps that made Cat’s legs damned irresistible. Kara couldn’t imagine a more pleasant last view. 

Once Kara was on the balcony, Cat moved to the door to her office and closed it. She spun, pointed at Kara, and started to speak, but her train of thought spectacularly derailed when she saw Kara in that moment. 

Kara had managed to pull together her Supergirl stance, with her shoulders squared, her chest high, and her expression schooled to what she hoped was majestic calm. The effect of her posture missed its mark, though. Instead of the professionalism and fierce determination she was no doubt intending to project, all Cat saw was Kara’s breasts pushed forward a far too pleasing manner. 

“I apologize,” Kara said, her tone all Supergirl, but her voice cracked and her posture slumped with the weight of what she had done. 

Kara’s loss of composure helped Cat regain her equilibrium. “What were you thinking?” she asked quietly. She sounded tired more than angry. 

“I wasn’t,” Kara admitted. 

Cat folded her arms over her chest and nodded for Kara to continue. 

“Miss Grant, I would never disrespect you, I swear. I’m just _so_ tired, and I’ve run up and down the stairwell to the art department and back three times and they still screwed it up.” She paused and looked at Cat with a protective fierceness. “And it’s worse than that original piece of crap!” Kara laughed, because her life was a sitcom. “I’m hungry, and tired, and I’m sweating!” She held her hands out to Cat. 

Cat tried to hide an amused smirk as she verified that Kara did indeed have sweaty palms. She sat and watched as Kara rattled on. 

Kara paced, shooting glares into the sky. “And _they_ just won’t give me a freaking break.” She tossed the awful cover onto the glass table top. “I mean, sure _they_ can do this all night long.” She turned toward Cat. “I have a day job!” she yelled. “A day job that I love,” she said desperately. “And with all of _them_ , and Alex….” Kara growled. “Alex! This is all her fault.” 

Cat found Kara’s frustration oddly endearing. 

“How am I supposed to do this? I’ve had _two_ hours of sleep since Friday,” Kara whined. “I missed six meals.” She spun and rushed toward Cat. “ _Six_ meals.” She pointed at herself. “Me? Six meals." 

“Sit,” Cat ordered. She pointed to the chair next to her with an elegant finger. 

“I’m so sorry, Miss Grant. Please don’t fire me,” begged Kara. She quickly sat and stared down at her hands. 

Cat started to speak, then stopped, then tried again--to no avail. The fact that Kara had basically just offered herself to Cat on a sexual platter, a platter Cat had spent hours convincing herself was most definitely not on her particular menu, made matters even more delicate. 

“Miss Grant?” Kara asked as she looked up at the CEO. 

“Why?” Cat asked. She knew Kara did not have a vindictive bone in her maddeningly hot body. 

Kara took a deep breath and sighed. She took off her glasses and set them down on the table next to the discarded magazine cover. She reached up and removed the clasp from her hair and shook her curls loose. 

Even though Cat had known the secret already, she couldn’t hold back a small gasp. 

Kara met Cat’s eyes. “I’m not human,” she said bluntly, then frowned. “But I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. This isn’t something that _anyone_ from Krypton would ever blurt out.” She bit her lip nervously, and despite the lack of glasses and the unfurled hair, this was all Kara Danvers. “I’m Supergirl.” 

Cat smiled, her color coming back. “Yes. I already knew that, but the quote ‘I’m not human' and the mention of Krypton clarified things nicely. Now, are you going to explain?” 

Kara nodded. “If my home hadn’t been destroyed, when I turned twenty-four, which I did nine months ago, I would have married the woman I was betrothed to at thirteen years old.” Kara frowned. “Well, actually, I would have turned twenty-four like, twenty-five years ago, because on my way to Earth I kind of got sucked out of normal time and space for a while.  A long while.” 

“You were engaged to a woman?” Cat asked, chastising herself immediately for the ridiculous choice of a followup question. “Did you love her?” 

“I never met her,” Kara said sadly. “She was seven years older, and when pairings have any age difference, they must wait to meet until the younger partner reaches maturity.” She looked at Cat. “At twenty-four, Kryptonian brains are fully matured,” she explained. 

Cat considered that and then shook her head. “How does this explain what you said to me?” 

Kara rolled her eyes. “My sister, _Alex_ ,” Kara said grumpily. “She’s been teasing me for, well, for years, but about this, for months.” She cleared her throat. “Alex wore out the phrase ‘that’s what she said’ a long time ago and she started adding ‘ _sexually’_ to the end of my sentences about you.” 

“That seems a strange and oddly specific choice,” Cat said slowly. 

Kara blushed. “I admitted that I had a tiny hero-worship-slash-power-crush on you,” she said in a rush. “You have every right to be angry, but I never would have said anything and I have the utmost respect for you and, now that I’m explaining it, it sounds _really_ creepy and I swear it’s not creepy and please--” 

Cat took Kara’s hand. “Breathe, Kara,” she said with a smile. 

The use of her actual name hit Kara like a Kryptonian kick to the chest. She looked up and her pupils were fully dilated. 

“It’s flattering,” Cat said calmly. “And you’re not the first employee to get a… crush,” Cat said the last word as if it had a foul taste as it crossed her tongue. “You are, however, the first to earnestly promise to exceed my expectations. Sexually.” 

Kara groaned. “I’m so sorry,” she said as she covered her face with both hands. 

“About the crush?” Cat teased. “Or the promise?” 

Kara held very still. She slowly removed her hands from her face and studied Cat. The CEO seemed to be implying that a crush on Cat Grant could be a trivial joke. Kara sat taller and pulled every ounce of her inner strength to the forefront. She remembered the way she once stood in front of the science committee on Krypton when she’d had to petition to use the archives for an advanced school project. She looked at Cat again and decided she would not downplay what she felt. 

“Kara?” Cat asked, more than a little concerned by the change in her assistant’s entire demeanor. 

Kara allowed some of the emotion for Cat, the emotion that often overwhelmed her, to show. “I’m sorry that I ever allowed Alex to make a joke about what I feel for you,” Kara said. “I’m sorry I participated in that joke, and I am so very sorry if my words today hurt you or embarrassed you in any way.” 

Cat waited. It was clear Kara was not finished. 

“I am not, nor could I _ever_ be sorry for the way I feel about you,” Kara said. “I will never be anything other than professional, and if that is not enough, then I would rather leave CATCO than ever cause you harm.” 

Cat’s heart pounded in her chest and she swore she could hear the blood sloshing with each beat. “What do you feel for me?” Cat asked, her voice shaking. 

“It’s not a crush,” Kara said delicately. “I have spent more time with you than any person on Earth.” She leaned forward. “I see you, Cat,” she said vehemently. “Not Cat Grant, CEO.” Kara rolled her eyes. “I see you. Cat. The tough-but-caring boss who single-handedly built an empire, the woman who fires employees with a dismissive flick of her wrist--but only employees that deserve to be fired.” She stood and paced the small balcony. 

Cat watched Kara as she moved back and forth. Her strides were long and confident, and there was no timid Kara Danvers hesitation. 

Kara came to a stop in front of Cat and knelt. “I know that giving up Adam is your greatest regret, but I also know that you did it because you knew it was what best for him at that time. I know that if you knew then how much it would haunt you to give him up, you would _still_ do it because he had a happy childhood with his father. I know you pretend to hate my clothes, when actually it’s just that you like to tease me.” 

Cat blushed, but she couldn’t tear her gaze from Kara. 

Kara smiled at Cat. “I know that you think you’re the worst, Miss Grant. But I also know that it’s the armor you need to face the world. You are not the heartless bitch you want everyone to see.” She rested a hand on the arm of Cat’s chair. “You are amazing, and inspiring, and most of all, I know that anyone lucky enough to have you for a partner would have to be an idiot to let you go.” 

Cat was overwhelmed, so she tried to add a bit of humor. “My ex-husbands fit that bill.” 

“Yes, they do.” Kara voice was forceful and laced with venom.  “You are a treasure, and the fact that they couldn’t see it is why the marriages ended.” Kara smiled nervously realizing she may have revealed too much. “It’s a well-known fact that you do not suffer fools.” Kara looked down at the deck. “And, now that I have shown myself to be a fool, I should probably go.” She stood. 

Cat grabbed Kara’s hand. “You told me what you think of me, but you still haven’t told me what you feel.” 

Kara gently removed her hand from Cat’s and blinked back tears that were about to crest the edges of her eyelashes again. She looked into the sky, then back to Cat. “I do not have a crush, and I’m not an idiot,” she said sadly. “I know you are out of my league on every level that can be measured.” 

Cat started to interrupt, but Kara shook her head. 

Kara glanced at the sky again and felt her courage leave like a puff of smoke on the wind. She glanced at Cat once more. “I’m in love with you,” she said and then she twisted her body and shot into the sky, out of sight. 

Cat stared in shock, at the words and at the dramatic exit. Cat flinched when Kara broke the sound barrier and the windows rattled behind her. 

“You beautiful fool,” Cat whispered. “I’ve loved you since before you ever caught that damn plane.” 

Cat stood on her balcony staring at the sky, willing Kara to come back. She shook her head and sighed. That was highly unlikely, which meant Cat would have to make the next move. She turned and started to go back inside, but paused. She picked up the magazine cover and Kara’s glasses and then went to her desk. One look at the cover and she understood why Kara had withheld the offending image. 

“This is ridiculous,” she muttered to herself. She took the image and trudged across the bullpen to James Olsen’s office, marching straight up to his desk. 

He looked up from a set of layouts and started to smile at Cat, but then noticed her mood. “What can I do for you, Miss Grant?” 

“First, deal with these morons before I fire the entire department right down to the cleaning staff.” She tossed the crumpled cover onto his desk. The art department was under his control. She spun and closed his door, returning to his desk as he looked at the cover. 

“This is bad,” James said with smirk. He looked at Cat and saw that she was not amused. “I’ll have this fixed within the hour.” 

“Fine,” Cat said with a flick of her wrist. “More importantly, I need you to use that top secret and untraceable phone that you keep in your desk drawer to call Alex Danvers.” 

James opened and closed his mouth like a fish dropped from its tank to the floor. 

Cat stared at him. “Kara and I had an illuminating talk. I know who she is, and frankly, you and the rest of her so-called support team need to step it up.” 

“What?” James stuttered. 

“She’s exhausted,” Cat said in an accusatory tone. “Two hours of sleep since Friday! She’s missed six meals, and this is Kara we’re talking about!” 

“Ah…” James was trying to process this new information but was hung up on the fact that Cat not only knew the secret, but now she was reading him and the Super-squad the riot act. 

“Call Agent Scully Danvers,” Cat said. “Now!” 

Not knowing what else to do, James reached into his desk, grabbed his DEO-issued phone, and dialed Alex. 

Cat yanked the phone out of his hand even as it connected. 

“James, what’s up?” Alex asked in rush. “Things are pretty busy here.” 

“Which is exactly why I’m calling,” Cat said harshly. “Kara has slept two hours since Friday and missed six meals, and you need to step up to the plate, Agent Danvers.” 

“This is an official government phone…” Alex began. 

“Yes, and my assistant is an unofficial government asset, so shut up and listen.” Cat glared at James. “Yes, I know the caped secret, blah, blah, blah, I’ll sign any non-disclosure papers, yada, yada--now, what are you going to do about Kara?” 

“Miss Grant, I don’t know what you think you know…” 

“Sexually?” Cat added with a wicked smirk. 

“Oh, shit,” Alex said. 

“Yes, well, you’ve summed things up succinctly,” Cat said. She was now pacing James’ office. 

James’ head swiveled with each change of direction she made. 

“Out,” Cat said, pointing at James. 

James was out of his chair and slamming the door shut behind him in less than two seconds. 

Cat refocused on Alex. “Now, you and your Area 51 bullshit department need to give Kara some time off.” She spoke as if she ordered Alex around every day. “She has a full-time job, so you can’t expect her to work all night long for you…” Cat paused and her eyes narrowed. “Is she even getting paid for her nocturnal activities?” Cat raised her voice. 

“Um, well, she, uh, well it’s all unofficial,” Alex stammered. 

“That. Ends. Now,” Cat said viciously. “If she is risking her life for you idiots, then she will be compensated, and compensated well.” 

Alex had the overwhelming urge to say, ‘Ma’am, yes, ma’am,’ and salute. 

“Now, look at whatever super-secret tech you have, and tell me where Kara flew off to ten minutes ago,” Cat said calmly. 

“It’s just GPS,” Alex said grouchily. “Are you always this bossy?” she muttered under her breath. 

“Sexually or professionally?” Cat inquired sweetly. 

“I can’t believe she told you about that,” Alex whined. 

“Tell me where she is, and we can be finished with this phone call,” Cat suggested. 

Alex made a growling grunt as she checked Kara’s cellphone GPS. “She’s home,” she said with a sigh. “I’ll go check her--” 

“No. You and your nonexistent agency have done enough,” Cat interrupted. “I’m assuming your agency predates Supergirl?” 

“The nonexistent one?” Alex asked sarcastically. “Yes.” 

“Good,” Cat said as if the matter was resolved. “Then I am sure you handled alien threats without her in the past. I am going to check on Kara. I’ll see that she’s fed, and make sure she’s resting, and then you and your men in black will most certainly not call Kara for anything for the next few days.” 

“Wha?” Alex stuttered. 

“I mean it.” Cat was already using her own phone to text her driver. “If you ask her to so much as rescue a kitten from a pile of fluffy pillows, I will intervene.” 

“Ah, whu…” Alex sputtered angrily. 

“I’ll take that as your agreement.” Cat hung up and walked out of James’ office. He was sulking in the hallway. She stalked over to him and shoved the phone into his hands as she passed him. “Mr. Olsen, your moment in the sun has arrived. Get the magazine out on time, put out any and all fires, and do it to my exacting standards,” she said as she walked away. 

James inhaled a shocked gasp. 

She pressed the call light for her private elevator and then turned toward the young man. “You can do this, James,” she said kindly. “I know you’ll amaze me.” 

“Yes, Miss Grant,” he said, standing a bit taller. 

The elevator opened, but Cat paused to look into his eyes across the room. “Be sure you give yourself an assistant editor credit in addition to art director.” 

“Thanks,” he said with a confused grin. He watched her disappear into the elevator and wondered what was going on, how much Cat knew, and what that meant for him.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Kara sat forlornly on the floor in front of the large window in her living room. She rested in the direct sunlight and stared at the empty carton of ice cream on her lap. She’d polished off the Rocky Road, but it hadn’t done anything to improve her mood. It _had_ given her a stomachache, though, because her powers had flared out on the flight home. 

She glanced at the smashed table in front of the other window. Her powers had given out when she was a few meters from the building. She’d had enough inertia to at least reach the window, but had been powerless to control her landing. 

She sighed and decided she should at least throw the empty carton away. She groaned as she stood. Her body and her ego were bruised, and her left eyebrow ached from her impact with the destroyed coffee table. 

As she tossed the carton away, she heard someone knocking on the door. She hurried to the heavy-duty door, unlocked the three deadbolts, and pulled the door open. “Alex, how many times are you going to forget--” Her eyes widened. “Miss Grant?” Her hand still gripped the half-open door. 

Cat ducked under Kara’s arm. “Rule number one,” Cat said as she made her way into the loft. “Just because you can fly, that doesn’t mean you can drop a bombshell and then flit away.” 

“I don’t flit,” Kara said as she closed the door and turned to face her boss. 

Cat rolled her eyes and was about to launch into a long-winded speech when she got a good look at the dejected blonde. “Jesus, Kara!” Cat rushed closer and took Kara’s face in her hands. “Did you get into a fight on the way home?” 

Kara shook her head, too shocked by the contact to speak. 

Cat looked around the room and her powers of observation cataloged the clues: a broken table, an overturned chair next to the open window, and then back to Kara’s bruised face. “Your powers are out?” she asked gently.   

“Yeah,” Kara whispered. 

“Do you need medical attention?” Cat asked as she traced the bruise on Kara’s eyebrow. 

Kara shook her head and then stood frozen, unmoving as Cat caressed her face. 

Cat scowled at the crooked, makeshift Band-Aid. “Is that… packing tape?” 

Kara bit her lip nervously. “I don’t really have a need for a first aid kit.” 

“Pardon me if I disagree.” Cat moved her hands to Kara’s shoulders and then slid them down her arms, gently squeezing and watching for any sign of pain in Kara’s eyes. When she reached Kara’s hands she noticed the knuckles on both hands had scrapes, but nothing life threatening. She sighed and closed her eyes as she gripped Kara’s hands like twin lifelines. 

“Cat?” Kara whispered. “What are you doing here?” She needed to know if she was fired. 

Cat pulled Kara toward the nearby couch and gently maneuvered her to sit. “At the moment?” she asked. “I’m trying to MacGyver a first aid kit.” She glanced around the room. “I take it you don’t have peroxide or rubbing alcohol?” 

Kara pressed her lips tightly together and shook her head. 

Cat was undeterred. “Any chance there’s anything here stronger than a strawberry-flavored malt beverage?” 

Kara sat up a bit straighter. “Actually, I keep a bottle of nice whiskey on hand for my sister,” she said, with what she hoped was a flare of bravado. 

“I’m intrigued.” Cat stood and smirked. “That sounds unlikely. Now I have to see this _nice_ bottle of whiskey for myself.” 

Kara leaned back into the couch cushions. “Next to the fridge, the bottom cupboard on the left.” She pulled a pillow onto her lap and watched as Cat moved through her kitchen like she owned it. 

Cat bent down to get the bottle and gasped. “Kara, this isn’t a nice bottle. This is something I would drink.” She looked over her shoulder at Kara and smirked. “Enjoying the view?” 

Kara’s eyes widened, realizing she had totally been caught checking out Cat’s ass. “Yes…?” 

Cat stood up, pleased, and opened one of the upper cabinets to retrieve a tumbler. “Irish crystal?” she asked. “Now, you’re just showing off.” Cat turned and picked up a handful of paper towels as she passed the counter on her way back to Kara. 

Kara waited as Cat sat and poured a generous serving of the whiskey and took a sip. 

Cat closed her eyes and sighed. She turned toward Kara. “I don’t pay you enough to afford 21-year-old Redbreast.” 

“Cat, why are you here?” Kara took the glass and placed it onto the side table. She turned back and gave Cat her full attention. 

Cat sighed. She picked up a paper towel, then poured some of the 350-dollar-a-bottle of whiskey onto it. 

“Hey!” Kara said. 

“Hush,” Cat ordered as she held Kara’s chin to keep her face still. “This might sting a bit,” she said, and then she yanked the packing tape off the cut. 

“Son of a badger!” Kara squealed. 

Cat tried to her hide her smirk. “Don’t be a baby, Supergirl.” She pressed the alcohol soaked paper towel to the cut that was now bleeding freely. 

“Motherfucker!” Kara hissed in pain. “Why didn’t you warn me that would hurt, too?” 

Cat was focused applying pressure to the wound. “Well, at least it got you to use an honest to god curse word.” She lifted the towel, then tore off a dry piece and pressed it onto the cut. “I think you need a first aid class. You really should be able to handle the common injuries.” 

Kara took Cat’s hand and held it in both of hers. “Please, Cat. Why are you here?” 

Cat sighed and shook her head. “My pretty little train wreck,” she said. “You can’t tell someone you’re in love with them and then just fly away.” 

“I’m really sorry,” Kara whispered. “I know it’s going to change things at work.” 

“Absolutely.” Cat nodded. “For starters, we have to go down to HR tomorrow morning and have them put Susan Tanner in charge of your reviews.” 

“Of course,” Kara said grimly. Then she squinted lopsidedly, like a perplexed Border Collie. “Wait, what?” 

Cat smiled and pulled Kara’s glasses out of the inside pocket of her blazer. She carefully placed them on Kara’s face. “Once I report my intentions to date someone under my direct command, they’ll need to assign an HR executive to monitor your progress and suggest future raises and promotions.” 

“I don’t want a promotion!” Kara insisted. “I like working for you.” 

Cat leaned back against the couch and waited. 

Kara’s eyes widened and she covered mouth with both hands. 

“Finally got there, did you?” Cat smiled tenderly. 

Kara pulled her hands away from her face and flapped them excitedly. She wore her trademark Sunny Danvers smile that crinkled the skin at the edge of her eyes. “You want to date me?” 

Cat’s eyes were filled with mirth, but there was a softness in them, too. It was a look that Kara had only gotten glimpses of, and each time she had, it had always made her long to touch Cat. 

“Like, officially?” clarified Kara. She rested her hand tentatively on Cat’s knee. 

Cat placed her hand over Kara’s. “Yes,” she said and then smiled a bit shyly. “Is that official enough, or should I have my hot assistant send out a company-wide memo?” Her playful smirk was back. 

Kara shook her head. “Right now, I’m just going to soak this in.” She jumped to her feet and let out a happy squeal, then spun to face Cat. “You’re going to have to ignore this outburst, or else just understand that I have never been happier about anything since my ship first arrived,” she said calmly. 

Cat nodded, and her smile couldn’t have been pried off her face by the jaws of life. 

“Eeeeee!” Kara raced from one end of the small loft to the other. “I wish I had my powers,” she said when she raced back to the couch and sat next to Cat. “I would be doing barrel rolls and loops above the entire state!” 

Cat did her best to remain calm, but seeing how truly happy Kara was to be dating her filled Cat with joy. She abandoned that plan and took Kara’s hand. “If I had your powers right now, I’d be doing those rolls and loops over the entire country.” 

Kara sighed and scooted closer. “I knew you were a closet romantic,” she said with a grin. 

Cat pretended to look casual. “Well, my love for walk-in closets _is_ epic, but it doesn’t rise to romance.” 

Kara leaned closer and stopped an inch from Cat’s lips. “I’d really like to kiss you. I’ve been dreaming about it for years.” 

Cat shifted on the couch so they were facing each other more comfortably. “I knew you were perfect,” she whispered. “We’re already sharing our dreams.” She leaned forward to close the small gap between them, and her eyes fluttered closed as soon as she felt the silky softness of Kara’s lips. Though she would never admit it, Cat whimpered when Kara’s tongue touched her lips. 

Kara scooted closer and the two were soon tangled in each other’s arms. Cat broke the kiss and began to press searing kisses down Kara’s throat. 

Kara gasped. “That feels so good,” she whispered. 

“It’s supposed to.” Cat chuckled and added a gentle bite along the delicate curve of Kara’s neck. 

A knock at the door caused the two to pull apart, and they shared matching groans of disappointment. 

“That’s for me.” Cat gave Kara a cryptic smile as she stood and went to the door. She opened it, and her driver came in holding a box and several bags of takeout food. “Put it on the counter,” she said to him, but her eyes were pulled back to Kara like a compass always returning to true north. 

“Stay,” Cat ordered. “You need to rest.” 

Kara looked over the back of the couch like a meerkat eyeing a feast on the savanna. “Is that Chinese?” she asked. 

Cat glanced at Kara and held up a carton from a gourmet restaurant. 

“I love that place,” Kara said excitedly. “They have the best pot stickers.” 

Cat grabbed two containers and waved them at Kara. “Which is why I got a double order.” 

Kara’s powers were still out, but her appetite was coming back at the sight of pot stickers. She gasped when Cat pulled out a beautiful pink box. “Cupcakes?” she whispered hopefully. 

“A full dozen.” Cat moved the box to the far side of the table. Once the food was unpacked, she escorted the driver to the door and told him to take the rest of the day off. She closed and locked the door, and then burst into laughter when she saw Kara perched high on the couch, trying to survey the food without technically leaving it. 

“Can I get up now?” she asked pathetically. 

Cat’s expression gentled as she looked at Kara, so eager, yet so willing to submit to Cat’s request. “Stay there. I’ll grab some plates and we’ll eat on the couch.” She gently pulled the entire table full of takeout across the hardwood floor. It made a loud, almost musical vibration as it moved. 

Kara moved to the corner of the couch and grabbed a box of pot stickers, then paused. 

“Eat, before you pass out from low blood sugar.” Cat spun and went to the kitchen. She quickly found everything she needed, usually in the first place she looked. She paused, with the plates and silverware in her hands and stared. She opened a few more cupboards and shook her head. 

Kara was halfway through her first container of pot stickers when Cat put plates, silverware, serving spoons and drinks on the low coffee table. 

“Chopsticks?” Cat asked. 

“Too slow,” Kara admitted. She grabbed a fork and stabbed the pot stickers two at a time. She wiped her fingers off with a napkin as she chewed. 

“Hmm,” Cat said as she filled Kara’s plate with generous helpings of rice, noodles, and Szechuan Chicken. “Surprising that I would find top of the line chopsticks next to my favorite sake in the cupboard over the plates.” She filled her plate, and didn’t need to look at Kara to know she was blushing. 

“Well, uh, Alex uses them, and Lucy,” she began. “Fine.” Kara said. “Yes, I patterned my cupboards after yours. I stocked the beach house when you and Carter were overseas. I realized I liked the way you organized things.” 

Cat picked up a piece of chicken and leaned toward Kara. “I’m not complaining, darling.” She held out the chicken and Kara took the spicy meat from Cat’s chopsticks. Cat wiped a bit of sauce off Kara’s chin, and then slowly licked it from her own finger. 

Kara beamed. “Thank you for lunch.” She picked up her plate. “It’s surprising that you patterned your order to every one of my favorites.” 

“Touché,” Cat said with a blush of her own. 

Kara smiled around a huge mouthful of noodles. Once she swallowed she caught Cat’s attention. “I’m not complaining, darling.” 

Cat rested her left hand on Kara’s leg as she expertly ate with the chopsticks in her right. 

Kara had three servings, and after every few bites, her gaze would drift down to where Cat’s hand rested. 

They talked about Cat’s early days at the _Daily_ _Planet_ , and Kara’s first days with the Danvers. Cat was scandalized that Superman had not raised Kara, while Kara was horrified by one of Cat’s attempts to get under Lois Lane’s skin by asking Clark out on a date. 

Kara coughed when Cat explained that Lois had a human puppy that did Lois’ bidding, a puppy she had intercepted briefly. “You dated Clark Kent?” Kara asked with a wheeze. 

Cat’s hand gently squeezed Kara’s leg. “I only did it to make Lois angry.” 

Kara put her food on the side table, and then moved Cat’s plate away as well. She turned so she was facing her. “How long did you date him?” 

Kara’s eyes were filled with an emotion Cat couldn’t place. “Are you jealous?” Cat asked slowly. 

“No,” Kara said immediately. “It’s just that, well, did you two…” Kara waved her hands in the air. 

“Play charades?” Cat asked, and then laughed. “Is that your signal for sex?” 

Kara was not laughing. “I am not jealous, but I _really_ need to know if you two slept together.” 

Cat’s eyes narrowed and she studied Kara. “Clark showed up in National City several months ago.” Now, her eyes widened. “You slept with Clark Kent?” 

“God, no!” Kara said, shuddering at the thought. 

“Then why are you so interested in whether or not I did?” Cat asked. “Which I did not,” she added firmly. “We only had two dates, and unlike millennials, I still have a three-date rule.” 

“Oh, thank Rao,” Kara said as she slumped back into the cushions. She blew out a breath. “That would have made family gatherings really weird.” 

“Family gather--” Cat gasped and pointed at Kara. “You!” she said, and she grew angrier. “You are related to Lois Lane! And she’s married to Superman?” 

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Kara said, clearly embarrassed. “It’s just, if I found out that not only did he grow up without me, refused to take me in, but that he also slept with the woman I’m in love with?” Kara shook her head. 

Cat smirked, and decided some teasing was in order. “That sounds a little more possessive than I’m comfortable with,” she said cheekily. 

“Possessive?” Kara asked, then shook her head. “No, I’m not trying to insinuate that I have any claim on you,” she insisted. “It’s just, he wasn’t raised with Kryptonian honor and duty,” Kara explained. “It’s bad enough he was raised by people who couldn’t teach him the ways of our planet. A Kryptonian would die before turning away any orphaned child, especially a relative. He basically told me I was too much trouble to take care of when he was the only one on the planet who shared my abilities.” Kara took a deep breath. 

“That son of a bitch,” Cat said as soon as Kara paused. “Clark has been doing really well for himself for more than fifteen years. He has a stable life, and has for a very long time. Why the hell didn’t he raise you?” 

Kara’s hands were trembling. “I’ve accepted that,” she said. “Plus, the Danvers gave me a sense of family. I doubt Clark could have. I needed loving acceptance, not someone taking me out of resentful obligation.” 

“Then why the questions about me sleeping with him?” Cat asked. 

Kara took Cat’s hands. “Because, I may have accepted the fact he lacks Kryptonian honor, and I realize he did me a favor by letting me become Kara Danvers.” She kissed the back of Cat’s hand. “But I could never forgive him if he had casually slept with you and was stupid enough to walk away.” 

“For Lois Lane,” Cat added with a smirk. She needed to lighten the mood, because Kara’s chivalry was far too attractive and Cat would toss her three-date rule out the damn window if she dwelt on that. 

Kara sighed in disgust. “Yes,” she agreed. “I mean, I’ve met her, like once, and she was nice enough to me, but…” Kara smiled and her expression became hungry. “She is no Cat Grant.”

“You’re damn right she isn’t,” Cat said. She leaned forward and kissed Kara gently. When the brief kiss broke, Cat ran her hand over Kara’s cheek. “And he is no Kara Danvers.” 

Kara leaned in and deepened the kiss. She moaned and scooted closer. She was about to straddle Cat’s lap when she felt the press of Cat’s hand on her sternum. “Did I hurt you?” Kara asked as she pulled away. 

Cat’s pupils were wide, like a hunter that had spotted her prey, or more precisely, her mate. “No, but I’ve already broken my rule that there’s no kissing until the second date.” 

Kara was breathing heavily. She nodded. “I don’t want you to feel pressured, Cat,” she said earnestly. “I am all about consent.” She moved a few inches away. 

Cat closed her eyes and visibly shivered. She opened her eyes and smiled at Kara. “Darling, a lack of consent is most definitely _not_ the problem.” 

Kara grinned, but as she took in the meaning of Cat’s words, her wholesome grin shifted to a darker, sensual expression. “So I’m not the only one finding it hard to hold back?” 

Cat moved closer and rested her head on Kara’s shoulder. “You are testing my resolve,” she whispered. She wrapped her arms around Kara to calm them both. “Jesus, Kara,” she added with a wry grin. “We haven’t even had one date and I can’t keep my hands off you.” 

Kara turned and kissed the top of Cat’s head. She lingered with her lips pressed there and inhaled the scent of Cat’s custom shampoo. “Notice that I’m not complaining.” She turned and shifted her weight so her body moved lower on the couch and gently guided Cat into a more comfortable position. 

“This is nice,” Cat said after a few minutes of silently holding each other. 

“Contrary to your misguided belief that we haven’t had a date, this is the best date I’ve ever had,” Kara whispered. 

Cat made a soft, “Hmmpt,” noise as she exhaled, letting Kara know she doubted that fact. 

“You came to my home, provided a wonderful meal, and we shared intelligent and revealing conversation,” Kara said quietly. 

“Hmm,” Cat murmured, which was Cat-speak for ‘Continue your attempt to convince me.’ 

“A beautiful woman shared laughter and engaging conversation with me, we exchanged mutual interest in having a romantic relationship, and she is the most intelligent person I know,” Kara explained. “And smart is sexy.” 

“Mmm,” Cat twisted and pressed a kiss to Kara’s neck. “Yes, it is,” she re-positioned herself so she could reach Kara’s lips. “And, if that is what we are defining as a date…” 

“Oh, it is,” Kara said solemnly, with a sparkle in her blue eyes. 

“Well, then we’ve had dozens of late night dates in my office,” Cat said. Her eyes greedily took in the way Kara’s cheeks were flushed with arousal, and the way her hair was a bit messy from their earlier kisses. 

Kara nodded. “Dozens,” she agreed. 

“Let’s call this our second date,” Cat suggested. She wanted to take her time to build something lasting with Kara. 

“Perfect,” Kara said. “So? More kisses?” 

Cat took Kara by the shoulders and adeptly pivoted her onto her back was on the couch. “Many more kisses,” she said as she rested on top of her. 

Kara whimpered as she tangled her hands in Cat’s silky blonde hair and guided her into a slow kiss. 

They traded kisses and then, positions. They also took breaks to just cuddle on the couch, and to enjoy the cupcakes. 

Cat felt treasured and safe resting on top of Kara. Kara’s strong arms felt as if they were sculpted to fit around Cat’s body, but Cat wanted to feel the press of Kara’s weight on top of her.   

Cat inhaled deeply and she nuzzled Kara’s neck. “Trade places with me, my Supergirl,” she whispered. 

Kara gave her a satisfied moan and turned over without ever letting go of Cat. Once on top, her breathing became ragged. “Kissing only,” she said, more to herself than to Cat. 

Cat placed a finger on Kara’s lips before she could make contact. “Mostly just kissing,” she whispered. She was thrilled when Kara’s kisses deepened. Kara was athletic, and highly physical, which shouldn’t have been a surprise, yet it was. Kara’s body seemed connected with her kisses on an elemental level. Kara’s hips rolled against Cat in unison with the movement of her tongue in Cat’s mouth. It was intoxicating in a way that no liquor ever could be. 

Cat’s hands made their way under the back of Kara’s tee shirt and she squeezed Kara’s hips. 

Kara desperately wanted Cat’s mouth on her skin, but she was doing her sincere best to keep things from going too far. She put her hands on the couch on either side of Cat and lifted her body away from the delicious heat of Cat’s petite frame. “Kisses only?” she asked again, in a high-pitched voice. 

Cat looked up at Kara and tried to calm her surging desire. “Second base?” she suggested. 

Kara was nodding before Cat finished the question. “Oh, Rao!” she exclaimed when Cat’s hand tangled beneath Kara’s shirt and found its mark. 

Cat doubled her efforts as her other hand gripped Kara’s lower back and pulled her closer. They continued their enthusiastic makeout session and somehow both of their bras ended up on the floor. 

Kara was lost in the new sensations. Every time Cat’s hands found a new patch of skin to touch, desire seared her as if Cat’s touch was a scorching flame and Kara’s skin was nothing more than a quivering mountain of kindling. 

Cat felt truly out of control. As she gave Kara’s breasts her full attention she whispered to Kara. “I’ve never needed to touch someone so badly in my life.” She kissed along Kara’s throat. “Not going further is killing me, but I know it’s a horrible idea.” 

“Horrible idea,” Kara echoed, but her agreement was nullified by the way her hips moved toward Cat. She paused and rested her forehead on Cat’s. 

Cat wrapped her arms around the woman who was already filling her heart and they stayed motionless while their pounding hearts slowed. 

After a few minutes, Cat laughed. “We’ll, we certainly know we have chemistry.” 

Kara laughed and settled her weight on Cat so her cheek was resting against Cat’s shoulder. “Nuclear chemistry,” she said as she actively fought the urge to kiss and bite Cat’s neck. 

The front door swung open and Alex backed into the loft as she came in with two bags of groceries. “I brought sustenance,” she announced. “I want to hear all about Cat’s visit.” She spun around to see Kara looking at her over the back of the couch with rumpled hair and the same expression she had whenever she’d been caught with the last cookie in her mouth. Cat’s expression when she looked over the couch, obviously positioned beneath Kara, made it clear they were doing far more than eating cookies. 

“Oh, my god! My eyes!” Alex turned back around. “I’m just going to leave these snacks, and you can call me later.”  She dumped the bags on the counter and scrambled toward the door. 

“Wait.” Cat infused that one word with a whip of command any general would envy. 

Alex froze and then slowly turned. 

Kara was giving Cat a look that clearly meant, ‘What the hell?’ 

Cat smiled at Kara. “We need information,” she said. 

Kara’s eyes widened. Clearly, she needed exactly what they had been doing. 

“Up,” Cat said gently. There was no tone of command with Kara, though, and her eyes crinkled as she smiled. 

Kara awkwardly climbed up and then assisted Cat. She turned and looked at her sister and shrugged. “Solar flare,” she said when Alex’s eyes widened at the sight of Kara’s bruised eye. “And, no I am not going in to use the sunbed. There’s a perfectly fine giant ball of blazing hydrogen in the sky.” 

Alex tilted her head as she met Kara’s eyes, then let her gaze drift back to the couch and back to Kara. “Unless you two are going to take your show onto the roof, the sunbed is far more effective.” 

“Fine,” Kara agreed. “We’ll go up to the roof as soon as you go.” Her eyes were pulled back to Cat. “Are you okay visiting with me while I get some sun?” 

“As long as you’ve got sunblock or some shade,” Cat said. In fact, the idea of seeing Kara sunbathe was sending Cat’s mind reeling. She wondered if Kara would wear something that exposed as much skin as possible. 

Alex replied before Kara could. “I keep a ton of SPF 50 in the medicine cabinet for when I hang out with Kara up there.” 

Kara nodded and then smiled at Cat. “It’s one of the main reasons I took this place,” she explained. “I have private access to one half of the roof.” 

“How can you afford this place?” Cat asked as she turned at looked at the loft that was obviously a high-end converted warehouse. “These huge windows? A good amount of space, and a private roof?” 

Alex rolled her eyes. “Go ahead and tell her,” she said with a proud smile. 

Kara stood a bit taller. “I get a great deal on the rent because I’m the building Super.” 

Cat raised both eyebrows. 

“I manage the rent collection, make sure new tenants know where everything is, and I do all the repairs.” She nodded toward the hallway. “There’s a maintenance room filled with tools, and, well… plumbing and electrical really aren’t rocket science.” 

“We will be discussing this in detail,” Cat told Kara. “And don’t devalue yourself. Electrical and plumbing require intelligence, skill, and creativity.” 

“That’s what I keep telling her.” Alex leaned against the counter. “She and I used to help my dad take care of our house.” Alex shook her head as she looked at Kara. “Kara has creativity to spare and her remodeling ideas are amazing.” She pointed at a walled off area. “Kara designed that bedroom and built it over a weekend.” 

Cat’s smile revealed a bit too much. Her eyes traveled over Kara’s form as she imagined her in jeans and a thin tank top, and then she imagined herself bringing her sweaty girlfriend a chilled glass of water. 

“She’s exaggerating,” Kara said. “I’m going to take a shower and change. I’ll put aside something more comfortable for you.” She turned and escaped before she had to listen to more of Alex boasting about her. 

Cat waited until Kara was out of the room. “Am I going to get the shovel talk now?” she asked Alex. 

“I see you found my whiskey.” Alex went to where the bottle sat and eyed the level. 

“I plan to replace it with a several new bottles. Maybe add a few you haven’t tried yet, but that I think you’ll enjoy.” Cat moved closer to Alex. 

Alex turned and faced Cat. Her expression was relaxed as she spoke in casual tone. “I don’t give shovel talks, Miss Grant.” 

Cat nodded. 

“A huge part of my job is to protect Kara, AKA Supergirl, and her identity. As her sister, I consider it my duty to protect her heart, as well,” Alex smiled sweetly. “If you hurt her, or threaten to expose her, I can assure you, there would be no shovel involved.” 

Cat crossed her arms over her chest. “Your body language is relaxed for someone I’m pretty sure is threatening me.” 

“No threat,” Alex said calmly. “I would never threaten anyone’s life.” Alex’s shoulders shifted and her expression became unreadable, like looking into a shark’s eyes. “I have the authority to grab you off the street or out of your bed and put you into a maximum-security facility. It’s so far underground, we could give you a dozen shovels and you would spend the rest of your life tunneling. You’d never get within a mile of the surface.” Alex crossed her arms over her chest and mirrored Cat’s pose. “You would be a mystery, like Amelia Earhart. And you’d spend your existence in solitary confinement, without a TV or radio, and your food would be slid into your cell with you never seeing another human as long as you live.” 

Cat laughed and gave Alex a nod of respect. “Now, that’s a great shovel talk.”  She studied Alex. “I may borrow it when Carter starts dating.” 

“Just as long as we’re clear,” Alex said with a predatory smile. 

“Crystal,” Cat agreed with a sweet smile. She moved into Alex’s space and her expression hardened. “Now, I’m going to give you my shovel talk.” 

Alex nodded, appearing more amused than anything else. 

“Your agency has been taking advantage of Kara, and that stops today,” Cat said in a calm whisper. 

“Advantage?” Alex said. “From the woman who ran Kara into the ground for three years?” 

“I _pay_ Kara to work for me,” Cat said calmly. She didn’t add that she had given Kara substantial bonuses and salary increases that had raised more than a few eyebrows in the human resources department. “Kara puts her life on the line for your agency on a daily basis, and she does it for free.” Cat leaned closer. “Not anymore.” 

Alex took a step back. That was not where she thought the conversation was headed. 

“So, you will have Miss Lane write up a contract,” Cat said. She saw Alex’s eyes widen. “Yes, I knew Lucy being back in uniform had to be connected to something big, Super big.” She flapped her hand at Alex. “The contract will include a guarantee that your agency will coordinate with local law enforcement as well as rescue and fire. You’ll set up a Supergirl hotline for them.” 

Alex started to interrupt. 

Cat raised her index finger to keep Alex quiet. “Your people will screen these calls because Kara needs to have a life. She doesn’t need to go out for every police chase or idiot who gets stuck on the side of a mountain.” She stepped closer. “She will be on retainer as an independent contractor, and she will be _well_ compensated.” 

Alex took a deep breath and sighed. “You know, we’ve tried to put her on the payroll before.” 

“As an employee at their beck and call?” Cat shook her head. “Of course, she said no. As an employee, she has no autonomy.” She pointed toward where Kara was showering. “She needs to interact with people as an everyday person. For some reason, she loves working at CATCO, so that is exactly what she is going to do so long as I am in charge.” 

“You’ve thought this through,” Alex said. She nodded in agreement. “And how do you plan to keep the name Kara Danvers off the official record?” 

“That’s the easy part,” Cat said with a smile. “She signs as Supergirl. All taxes will be removed at the highest amount, and she'll get a generous retirement plan as well. The government has been paying confidential informants for decades.” 

“I’ll talk to Lucy,” Alex said with a smile. 

“About what?” Kara asked as she came around the corner. 

Cat spun to explain, but one look at Kara in a black string bikini and Cat was dumbstruck. 

“Your professional agent here was just negotiating a lucrative contract with the DEO,” Alex said cheerfully. 

“But I don’t want them in charge of me,” Kara said slowly. 

“Cat’s got that covered,” Alex said. She noticed the CEO’s loss of the ability to speak and smirked. “You’ll be an independent contractor, and the DEO will screen calls on a special Supergirl hotline for local first-responders so you don’t have to fly off every time you hear sirens.” 

“Wow,” Kara said as she looked at Cat. “All that in the time it took me to shower?” 

Cat nodded, but her gaze was currently locked on Kara’s toned belly. 

“I’ll leave you two alone so you can get to the roof,” Alex said as she backed toward the door. She cleared her throat to get Kara’s attention. “You might want to cover up with a towel if you plan on breaking the spell your abs have on her.” She rushed out the door before Kara could respond. 

“Whatever,” Kara said to the door. She was smiling when she turned back to Cat, and then her smile transformed to one of desire. She stepped closer to Cat and used her hand to lift Cat’s chin. “My eyes are here,” she whispered. 

Cat blushed. “And mine were enjoying the amount of skin you’re showing,” she said huskily. “Sorry,” she added sheepishly. 

“Don’t be,” Kara said. “I like that you’re attracted to me.” She handed Cat a tee-shirt and shorts along with a new swim set. “I expect I’ll do some staring myself once you change into these.” 

“I hope so,” Cat said. She took the small bundle and moved toward the other room to change. “I spend a ridiculous amount of time in the gym for people not to look.”

A few minutes later, it was Kara’s turn to be speechless. Cat smirked as she watched Kara’s eyes fill with desire. 

“Strange that you had a swimsuit in my size with the tags still on it,” Cat said. She was wearing a black string bikini top and a blue-striped pair of boyshorts. “My eyes are up here,” she said mirroring Kara’s earlier comment. 

“Sorry,” Kara said as she looked up and giggled. “I’m totally not sorry,” she said cheekily. “I got it for Alex’s birthday, then realized I ordered it in your size by force of habit.” 

“Lucky me.” Cat tossed the towel casually over one shoulder and pointed at Kara with a bottle of sunscreen. “Now, show me this private roof.”


	3. Chapter 3

Kara unlocked the door to a narrow stairwell and then re-locked it once Cat was inside. Cat didn’t wait; instead, she trotted up the stairs and eased open the door at the roof level. 

Cat gasped as she stepped into a small room approximately sixteen feet wide and deep. She studied the space and her keen mind deciphered what Kara had added. The solid wall on the left was obviously part of the building that faced the city street. She turned and looked at opposite wall, deducing it had been added by the building's owner to divide Kara’s side of the roof from the other half.   

The room was clearly well designed, and when combined with the stark white decor and furniture, it had a decidedly alien feel to it. Cat looked up and saw a transparent burnt-rose Plexiglas ceiling and wall. The ceiling was shuttered by a metal structure slightly above it. The wall overlooked the city.

“This is incredible,” Cat said as she walked toward the Plexiglas wall that looked over a small outdoor carpet with patio furniture stylishly arranged on the roof just a few feet away. She turned back to Kara and smiled. “Where did you get this furniture?” she asked as she pointed to a low, flat piece of furniture that was white with a long cylindrical pillow at one end. She sat on it and sighed. “Why did it take long for someone to invent a flat couch? And how can I get one?” She stretched out on it and looked up at the ceiling. 

Kara was quiet as she sat on a white leather chair that was similar in design to mid-century modern Scandinavian. 

“That’s wonderful as well,” Cat said as she turned toward Kara. 

“They’re custom designed,” Kara whispered. “It’s from my memory, but I think it’s close to what was on Krypton.” 

“If you tell me you built them, I’m going to chain you in my office and make you my private furniture and home designer.” Cat was only half joking. 

Kara shook her head. “I met a wonderful man who was on the train Maxwell Lord tried to blow up. He’s an executive with a furniture company that specializes in Scandinavian styles. He offered to give me free furniture for ‘whatever lair’ I lived in.” She rolled her eyes. “I thanked him, but asked if he could find someone to help me make furniture like I had at home.” 

Cat sat up. “I take it he helped?” 

“Yeah,” Kara looked around the room. “The company offered to give these to me, but we finally came to a compromise. I paid for the materials, and they donated the manpower to build it.” She smiled. “Plus, they’re considering releasing something similar for their next product line.” She blushed. “I’ll get royalties.” She stood and moved to where Cat was and sat next to her. 

“It’s beautiful,” Cat said. “What’s with the double roof?” 

Kara leaned across Cat and picked up a remote from the white side table. She pointed it at the ceiling and the outer metal roof rolled out of view. “I re-purposed a garage door opener,” she said with a nervous smile. 

“Oh, Kara, that’s brilliant,” Cat said in amazement. 

The burnt-rose of the Plexiglas window of the ceiling and the wall gave the entire space a soft glow. The skyline over the city appeared in vibrant pinks and oranges. 

“That’s what my sky looked like,” Kara said as she wrapped an arm around Cat. “I come up here to paint and remember it.” She pointed to an easel near the back wall. 

Cat stood and pulled Kara to her feet. She turned and looked at the walls that were the same white as the rest of the room. She gasped as she moved toward a round false window. “Did you paint those?” Cat studied the faux windows. There were stunning paintings behind them that depicted tall, thin spires and buildings against orange and pink skies. It gave the illusion that the walls had windows overlooking the alien city. 

“I did,” Kara said. She pulled Cat to the nearest. “This was the view from my bedroom, on Krypton.” She pointed at the tallest building in the painting. “That was the Justice League.” She touched the glass that covered the painting. “My mother worked there.” She smiled sadly. “Sometimes I would go there after school and do my homework in her office.” 

“I’m sure she loved you very much,” Cat said. That it was a platitude didn’t make it untrue. “It always makes me so happy when Carter is sitting at the coffee table in my office and we’re just sharing the same space.” 

“Yeah, I totally get that,” Kara said wistfully. “Carter loves that time with you.” She sighed as she looked at the ghosts behind the glass, ghosts that she herself had painted. 

Cat moved along the walls and studied each image. The detail was amazing. She turned toward Kara and saw the younger woman staring up at Earth's sky, shaded orange to look like Kara’s lost world. " Just make sure you aren’t keeping the wounds fresh along with the memories,” she said gently. 

“I’m not,” Kara assured her. She pointed toward the French doors that opened onto the roof. “Shall we get to the sun tanning?” 

“Bite your tongue,” Cat said, but she followed Kara toward the doors. “I expect you to slather lotion over every inch of my exposed skin.” 

“I’ll be sure to get the lotion under the strings so you don’t burn if the fabric shifts,” Kara’s eyes held mirth and lust in equal measures. 

“Good to see you are as thorough as ever,” Cat said. Once on the open area of the roof, she saw that it was welcoming and casual, and there was a small refrigerator in one corner. 

Kara made a beeline to the fridge and retrieved two bottles of water. “Hydrate,” she ordered. "Then lie down so I can work my lotion magic.” 

For once, it was Cat leaping to comply with Kara's commands. She put her towel in place and stretched out on a lounger face down. She waited impatiently for Kara to sit next to her. The touch of their bare skin felt electric, and when Kara began massaging the lotion onto her back, Cat couldn’t hold back a happy moan. 

Kara smiled as she made certain every inch of ivory skin was covered. She noticed that Cat’s breathing became irregular as she worked, and when she asked Cat to roll over, she was unsurprised when she met Cat’s fully-dilated eyes. 

Cat watched as Kara repeated the process, starting with her legs and then moving her way up to her bikini line. She kept the massage strictly G-rated, and moved to Cat’s arms. 

Cat watched Kara as she worked. Kara’s expression was focused, and her touch was a tether to Cat’s desire. 

Once finished with Cat’s arms, she looked into Cat’s eyes. “Need some help with your belly?” she asked even as she was getting more lotion. 

Cat nodded, wondering where this confident and sensual side of Kara had been hiding. She inhaled with a gasp when Kara caressed her belly and sides, and when she gently massaged the skin-protectant onto Cat’s chest, the CEO had to grip the sides of the lounger to keep from grabbing Kara and dragging her into a kiss that would surely lead to more than they had mutually agreed upon. 

“All done,” Kara said huskily. Her pupils were wide and her breathing a bit shaky. She exhaled in a long breath. “I’m having a hard time not touching you again,” she admitted. “I guess the hands want what the hands want.” 

Cat smirked, thrilled that Kara was as affected as Cat herself. “Good to know I’m not the only one.” 

“Trust me, you’re not,” Kara said with a wry grin. She stretched out on her belly on her lounger and inhaled deeply before letting out a long groan. “Rao, I do love the yellow sun.” 

“Is it helping that fast?” Cat asked. She rolled over onto her belly and turned to watch Kara. Her smooth skin seemed to almost glow. 

“It does if my powers aren’t blown out,” Kara said. She turned her head to look at Cat. “Right now, I feel the heat, and I feel myself tingling, like my cells are hungry for the sun’s touch.” 

Cat’s eyes held a reverence as she looked Kara. “Hero, assistant, carpenter, painter, and poet. Miss Danvers, you are a true renaissance woman.” 

“Says the woman who single-handedly built an empire by doing just about every job in the company along the way,” Kara replied. 

Cat closed her eyes, but her smile lingered. “Guess the two of us make an unstoppable team,” she said quietly. 

“El Mayara,” Kara said as her eyes closed. “It’s my family motto. It means stronger together.” 

“It’s beautiful,” Cat said, glancing briefly at the stunning woman beside her before closing her eyes again. 

~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~ 

Kara was in a panic. It had been two days since she had told Cat how she felt, and one day since she and Cat had shared an amazing official date together. 

Unfortunately, that official public date had been at the opening of a new high-end restaurant. The line to enter that restaurant had been filled with A-list celebrities as well as the requisite paparazzi they always brought in tow. 

Now Kara was trying to get ready for their third date--third if their time at Kara’s apartment that first day only counted as one. Kara thought that it should count as two, but they were still debating that fact with playful banter whenever they were alone.   

Kara’s powers were back, but that didn’t help ease her anxiety. 

“Calm down.” Alex was sitting on the back of Kara’s couch with her feet perched on the arm. “It’s not like you haven’t already had your tongue in her mouth.” She was enjoying Kara’s nervousness. 

“I want tonight to be special,” Kara insisted. “What should I wear?” she asked as she held up two dresses. 

“Well, if you have one that has Velcro, you should wear it,” Alex said grimly. 

“What? Is that a thing? Who has Velcro other than your tactical team?” Kara asked in a panic. 

“You definitely should,” Alex said with a barely hidden smirk. “As soon as you two are alone, she’s just gonna rip the dress off you anyway. Velcro would save time and fabric.” 

“Not funny,” Kara insisted. “And not helpful.” 

“It’s a little funny,” Alex said. 

Kara raised both eyebrows and glared at her sister. “Well, it’s not remotely helpful.” 

“Fine,” Alex relented. She inhaled and looked at both dresses. “No,” she said as she grabbed the one on the left. “As matter of fact, that’s a _hell_ no.” She balled it up and launched it at nearby trash can. 

“That’s a nice dress,” Kara said indignantly. “You don’t think it works for a date?” 

Alex shook her head. “Not unless you’re meeting her for bingo at the retirement home.” 

Kara squeaked, outraged. “I got that at Forever 21!” she said defensively. 

Alex laughed. “Are you sure it wasn’t Forever _1921_?” 

Kara’s glare was now set at one level before heat vision. 

“This one,” Alex said as she reached down to the couch where several discarded choices had been tossed. She picked up a sleeveless little black dress. “Short and spandex,” she said with a nod of approval. 

“I bought that when I went on my red kryptonite spending spree,” Kara said quietly.   

Alex’s expression softened. “Kara, that doesn’t mean it’s evil. It means there is a part of you that knows how hot you are.” She didn’t add that there must be a reason Kara hadn’t tossed it out with the rest of her expensive clothes. “It’s okay to wear it.” 

Kara bit her lip and considered it. 

Alex waggled the dress in her hand. “Just think of your hot date with Cat as a sure-fire way to re-brand it.” 

Kara smiled at the thought of Cat’s reaction. “Fine,” she said as if she was only choosing it under duress. It would be a relief to make new memories for the simple dress. The only other time she had worn it was to attend a club opening while affected by red kryptonite. She had thrown herself at James Olsen. Thankfully, he had run off with his tail between his legs like a scared puppy. 

Alex moved across the room and found Kara’s comfortable shoe collection. She dug through the pile until she found the black, four-inch heels that went with the dress. “Put these on with that, and you’re gonna need a bodyguard to keep her hands off you.” 

Kara got a faraway look. She had a smile that was one part happiness, ninety-nine parts hunger. “Definitely those pumps,” she said with a smirk. 

“And that is my cue to go,” Alex said. “I wish you two well, but I cannot stand around and watch you getting dressed with _that_ look on your face.” She handed Kara the shoes and rushed for the door. 

“I have a look?” Kara asked innocently. She took the pumps and followed Alex to the door. “What kind of look?” she added as her smile grew more wicked. 

Alex blushed. “You know damn well what look." 

Kara reached over Alex’s shoulder and held the door closed, blocking her hasty exit. “Is it a sexy look?” 

“Eww,” Alex said. She turned and pushed Kara back with a playful shove on both shoulders as she laughed. “Keep messing with me, and I’ll make sure you get called out on Super-emergencies all night long.” 

Kara raised both hands in defeat. “I surrender,” she said. “Just promise you won’t call unless it truly is a Super-emergency.” 

Alex held up her hand. “Scout’s honor,” she promised. 

Kara rolled her eyes. “You got kicked out of scouts after making out with that girl in your cabin.” 

“I know.” Alex waggled her eyebrows. “So, this promise means I would never interrupt your lady smoochies.” 

“I’m gonna hold you to that,” Kara said. She hugged Alex. “Thanks for helping me pick out an outfit." 

“Just doing my part to make sure my little sister finally, officially has had sex more times than a virgin nun,” Alex said as she returned the hug. 

Kara eased away and then opened the door. “I’ll call you in the morning,” she added. 

“Uh, this is only your second date,” Alex reminded her. “No staying over until the third date,” she said forcefully. 

“We had two dates already, maybe three,” Kara said shyly. She looked down at her feet. “First date, she brought lunch and we talked for hours.” She glanced up at Alex. “Second date, we went sunbathing on the roof, and I showed her my paintings and told her about Krypton.” 

“That only counts as one date,” Alex said as she paused in the doorway. “Add that to last night’s extravaganza, and I guess this is the third date.” She rested a hand on Kara’s shoulder. “That doesn’t mean anything has to happen tonight. Be sure you’re ready.” She scowled a bit begrudgingly. “Cat’s not going to push you. She wants what’s best for you.” 

“Fine,” Kara agreed a bit too quickly. “But given all the times we’ve shared late night dinners long _after_ our work was done, and all the times I stopped by after patrol, honestly, we’ve been dating for months.” 

“What stops after patrol?” Alex asked. She tilted her head to one side. “Did you talk to her about your missions?” 

“Of course not,” Kara said. “After a night of getting my ass handed to me, or even if I just helped with a half dozen accidents or fires…” Kara sighed. “I needed to reset myself,” she said quietly. “Find my center.” She smiled as she thought about Cat standing in the moonlight on her balcony. 

“You could have talked to me,” Alex said gently. 

“I know,” Kara replied. She looked into Alex’s face and needed to soothe the spark of hurt in her brown eyes. “Most nights we just sat and looked out at the city,” Kara explained. She smiled as the images filled her thoughts. “My favorite is when she leans her elbows on the railing and sips her whisky. The stars sparkle in her eyes, and moonlight makes her hair look like wisps of silver.” 

Alex watched deep, complex emotions flash across Kara’s face. She realized that what Kara and Cat were beginning to explore had started long ago. 

Kara was lost in her memories. “When I felt especially brave, I would lean my elbows less than an inch from hers and look out and try to see the world through her eyes.” She reached her right hand around her body and ran her fingers over her elbow. “I could feel the heat of her skin, hear her heart speed up with me close to her, and oh…” She closed her eyes and exhaled. “Her perfume is always so subtle. But that close? So many nights I had to remind myself to keep my distance when all I wanted to do was lean over and bury my nose in the hair lying along her neck.” 

“Okay, that is more romantic than I want to hear coming from my sister.” She backed out the door. “You’ve definitely had several dates, so call me after you’ve rolled out of bed and had coffee with your hot girlfriend. As soon as one of you has done the walk of shame, I’ll be waiting to hear enough details to scar me for life.” 

“Bye,” Kara said with a smile. 

Alex paused and met Kara’s eyes. “Hey, when you’re ready for this, don’t forget your protection.” 

“I won’t,” Kara said as she blushed. Alex had designed a watch with low levels of kryptonite radiation. The watch looked stylish, but it had a biological computer that monitored Kara’s vital signs and her relative strength. “Thank you,” Kara said sincerely. Kara’s greatest fear was that she might accidentally hurt someone with her strength. 

Alex shrugged. “I’m not even sure you need it,” she said.  “Kara, you have amazing control of your powers.” 

Kara crossed her arms over her chest in a protective stance. “I can control my strength, but only when I can focus.” She cleared her throat. “I don’t think I’ll be able to focus if Cat and I stay together tonight.” 

“Okay,” Alex said quietly. “Just think about it, okay?” She smiled. “Once the newness wears off, you’ll most likely be able to make adjustments.” 

“Maybe,” Kara said. 

“The more you rely on the regulator, the less control you’ll have when to take it off,” Alex reminded her. She saw Kara’s shoulders tense. “But, for tonight, just focus on having a great third date, set your regulator to human, and enjoy yourself.” 

Kara nodded but she was blushing all the way to her hairline. 

Alex paused. “Hey, if anything comes up, just text me and we can go with the emergency plan.” 

“I will,” Kara promised. 

“We’ll be ready, just in case.” Alex waved and trotted off down the hall toward the stairs. 

Kara closed the door and glanced at her sexy outfit. She sprinted across the room and raced to get ready. 

~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~ 

“This is ridiculous,” Cat said as she turned in front of the mirror. “Why am I nervous?” 

Carter sat in a nearby chair and smiled. “Because you want to wear something Kara will like. Because you like her,” he said. “You have a crush on Kara,” he added sassily. 

“I am too old for crushes,” Cat said as she shot him a warning glare. “It’s just a date.” 

“It's a big deal.” Carter sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s Kara, Mom. If it was nothing, you wouldn’t have had an emergency board meeting about it… yesterday.” 

Cat was caught and she knew it. “Of course it’s not just a date,” Cat said as she went to his side. 

“You’ve liked her for a long time,” Carter said with a sage expression. “And she sees the real you. Not the mean version.” 

“She does,” Cat said with a smile. She sat next to him on the arm of the club chair. “Okay, since you seem to have all the answers, what do you think of this dress?” 

Carter looked at his mom and then scrunched his nose. “Mom, it’s a date, not another board meeting. You always go for the power outfits when you want to wow them.” 

“So, I shouldn’t impress Kara?” she asked with a smile. 

“Kara already likes you,” he explained. “She’s going to be nervous, so wear something she’s seen before, but you know she likes.” 

“I’m taking dating advice from a thirteen-year-old. This is going to be a disaster.” She stood and paced. 

Carter wasn’t remotely deterred. “I don’t know about dating, but I know about Kara.” He stood and took his mother’s hand and tugged her toward her huge closet. “She always takes care of me when I come by after school and do my homework.” He pulled Cat to a stop. “She’s nice to me, not because you’re her boss, but because she likes me.” He smiled brightly. 

“Of course, she likes you,” Cat said. 

“She’s kind and smart and funny,” he said, and then smirked. “Plus, when I do my homework, I face her desk.” 

“How is that helpful?” asked Cat, curious. 

He bit his lip and then continued. “Because she’s watches you, like, all the time. I’ve seen her stare, and glance, and sometimes? She gets this goofy look on her face and sighs like a Disney princess.” He waited for his mother to catch his meaning. “Mom, she totally swoons over specific outfits.” 

“She does?” Cat asked, now thoroughly intrigued. “Which ones?” 

Carter walked to the closet and pointed to a blue and black block dress. “That one,” he said and then pointed to the shoes. “And those heels.” 

She lifted the Alexander Wang dress, looked at the matching Charlotte Olympia blue suede pumps, and then turned to Carter with both eyebrows raised. 

“Trust me,” he said earnestly. 

“When you say she has a goofy look, what exactly does that mean?” Cat asked. 

Carter did his best lovesick expression with fluttering eyelashes and dreamy sighs. 

“Okay, I’ll go with the blue.” She went to change in her en suite. 

When Cat came out to the living room, Carter nodded in approval. 

“I take it you endorse this outfit?” Cat asked with a smile. 

“It’s one of her favorites. One time, you came past her desk wearing this, and asked her to take dictation,” he said and then giggled. “She never took her eyes off you, and she fell over her waste basket. She totally crushed it, like flat.” 

Cat smiled at the memory. She had heard the clatter and spun to see Kara trying her best to hide the metal basket she had smashed. 

Carter glanced at the door. “Dad should be here soon.” He turned back to Cat. “If he decides to bring me back early, I’ll text you in advance.” 

“That seems like an odd comment,” Cat said as she moved closer to him. 

He blushed from his cheeks to his ears. “I want to give you guys fair warning,” he said meaningfully. 

“Carter!” Cat said as she felt her cheeks burn with a blush of her own. “We just started dating. I hardly think we are at the spend the weekend together stage, and you are only thirteen!” 

“The weekend?” Carter waggled his eyebrows. “I was thinking the night.” He saw Cat's blush and decided to take teasing off the table. “Just because I’m not old enough for adult dating doesn’t mean I live in cave, or a monastery, or a monastery cave.” Carter was avoiding eye contact. “Besides, you’ve known Kara three years.” He turned to face Cat. “And you’ve liked her for almost two years.” He raised one eyebrow defiantly. “And yes, I mean _like,_ like her.” 

“I’ll take that under advisement,” Cat said with a smirk. She noticed his intense glare. “Fine, I do like her romantically; are you happy?” 

“Totally!” he exclaimed. “Kara’s nice, she’s way prettier than Dad’s latest wife, and Kara actually likes spending time with me.” 

“Carter, please don’t get ahead of things,” Cat said gently. “We don’t need any extra pressure.” 

“I think Supergirl can handle a little pressure,” he said as he headed for his room to get his overnight bag for the weekend. 

Cat stared at the hallway, her mouth agape, until he returned. 

“I totally figured it out a week after the train disaster,” he said when he noticed his mother’s shock. “I haven’t said anything to anyone,” he promised. “I wouldn’t do that to her.” 

Cat put her hand over her mouth. Her face was pale. “I, uh…” She exhaled slowly. “I’m going to cancel this whole thing before it goes any further,” she whispered. 

“No!” Carter insisted. 

Cat shook her head. “This ridiculous idea is far too dangerous,” she said hoarsely. She stalked over to the counter and looked for her phone. 

“Mom, you’re panicking,” Carter said angrily. 

She spun to face him. “Of course, I am,” she said, her tone dangerous. “You saying what you just said?  You just _knowing_  puts you and her at risk.” She shook her head. “It could get you both killed.” 

“I would never tell.” Carter’s voice broke. “Mom, you deserve to be happy.” 

She shook her head and tears stung her eyes. “I will not be responsible for endangering the lives of the people I love,” she said angrily. 

“I knew you loved her,” Carter said with a faint smile. “Mom, you’re running scared, and we Grants do not run from anything,” he said as firmly as he could manage. “Well, except maybe from Grandma.” 

Cat sat on the couch and closed her eyes. “Carter, this is a supremely bad idea.” She leaned forward and massaged her temples. “I was being selfish. I can’t risk either of you.” She sniffled, and then exhaled in disgust when she realized she was crying. 

“I meant it when I said you deserve to be happy.” Carter dropped to his knees in front of Cat. “And Kara does, too. You make her happy.” 

A streak of blue topped by red passed the windows in a blur. Cat turned to see Supergirl landing on the balcony. 

Kara opened to the sliding glass door so forcefully the lock broke free and bounced across the hardwood floor. “What’s wrong?” she asked as she sped into the penthouse. She scanned the entire apartment with her x-ray vision even as she sped to where Cat and Carter were sitting. “Carter, are you hurt?” she scanned him and then turned to Cat. “Why are you crying?” 

Carter stood and turned to face the caped intruder. “Supergirl, how did you know Mom was crying?” 

“I heard her heart rate spike and then she sniffled,” Kara said as confidently as she could. “And Miss Grant doesn’t sniffle.” 

Carter rolled his eyes. “You two are ridiculous.” He looked at the hero and sighed. “Mom’s freaking out because she thinks if she dates you, I’ll be in danger, and that you will, too.” 

Kara’s eyes widened comically. 

“He already figured it out,” Cat said as she held up both hands. “Since right after the train ride we agreed to never mention again.” 

“Yeah, and Mom panicked. I was trying to talk some sense into her. She was going to cancel your date and run for the hills,” Carter said helpfully. 

“What hills?” Kara asked suspiciously. “Wait, you want me to date your mom?” 

“ _Supergirl_ does not date. She’s a hero. Heroes save people and disappears.” Carter looked at Kara as if she were an actual imbecile. 

Kara looked at Cat. “Wha--?” 

“Ugh.” Carter stomped his foot. “Mom needs to date the _real_ you, Kara.” 

Kara straightened to her full height, uncertain. “Just to be clear, neither of you is in danger?” 

Cat shook her head and smiled at Kara’s mile-long protective streak. 

Kara let out a relieved sigh. “And Carter, you want me, uh, Kara, to date your mom?” 

Carter nodded. “Um, yeah.” He scowled. “And Supergirl really shouldn’t be seen flying into our apartment. It looks sketchy.” 

“Sketchy?” Cat asked with a chuckle. 

Carter leveled a trademark Cat Grant glare at his mother. “You want the world thinking you’re two-timing Kara with Supergirl?” 

A slow smile bloomed across Kara’s lips. She met Cat’s eyes. “You realize he’ll be running CATCO before he can legally drive, right?” 

“I was expecting him to join the Board by his fifteenth birthday.” Cat smiled as she saw Kara beginning to relax. 

“You two need to work on that,” Carter said grumpily. “Mom, you can’t make googly eyes at her.” He turned to Kara. “Supergirl, no puppy eyes in public.” 

Cat started to protest, but didn’t have the desire to deny what she felt. 

Kara cleared her throat and shifted into her Supergirl persona. “I have been thoroughly schooled,” she said calmly. “And I will do better.” 

“Why were you listening to mom’s heartbeat?” Carter asked curiously. 

“It’s something that happens when I’m close to someone, emotionally,” Kara admitted. “I pick out their heartbeat miles away. It’s usually just background noise, but when it spikes, well, I kind of go into red alert.” 

“Interesting,” Cat said. “How long have you heard my pulse?” 

Kara maintained her Supergirl steel. “I think that’s a question you should ask your assistant when you pick her up for your date.” She smiled at Cat. “By the way, I heard she _loves_ that outfit.” 

“Told you,” Carter gloated. He headed for his room to gather the electronics he’d left charging for his trip. 

Cat resisted the urge to smooth her dress, and instead smiled at Kara. “Well, Supergirl, did you have any other business?” 

“In a hurry to go somewhere?” Kara smirked and shook her hair in her best hero pose. 

“Yes, I’m due to pick up my insanely hot girlfriend in thirty minutes.” Cat made a show of checking her watch. 

“Have a lovely night, Miss Grant,” Kara said. She backed toward the door and stepped on the broken lock. She picked it up and blushed. “I’m sure your insanely hot girlfriend would love to fix this.” She placed the lock on a table and floated out of the room. When she shot into the air, a sonic boom rattled the windows. 

“Show off,” Cat whispered. She was about to check on Carter, when the doorbell rang. She smirked as she opened the door. “Our date doesn’t start for another thirty minutes, darling,” she said, and then scowled at her ex-husband. “Oh. I’ll get Carter.” She closed the door in his shocked face. 

Carter came trotting down the hall. “Have fun tonight,” he said as he gave her a one-armed hug. He leaned closer and whispered. “Tell her that sonic boom was awesome.” 

“I’ll call to say goodnight at bedtime.” Cat kissed his cheek and ignored his eye roll. 

“If you’re too busy, I won’t be insulted,” Carter called over his shoulder as he ducked out the door. 

Cat narrowed her eyes as she considered his words. As soon as she realized what he’d hinted at, she blushed and shook her head. “He's going to be running the company by next week,” she muttered. 

She smiled as she let her mind wander back to Kara. This was their third date, and she knew Kara was as eager Cat was herself. Cat looked down at her hands and was surprised to see them shaking. She curled them into fists to steady them. She walked to the mirror in the hall and stared into it, and then did something she hadn’t done since the day of her first broadcast.

“Okay, Grant, you’ve got this,” she said into the mirror. “This is the woman you’ve been yearning to have. Yes, she’s a freaking superhero, but that doesn’t matter.” Cat smiled as a sense of calm filled her entire body. “She’s Kara,” she said quietly. “Nothing else matters.”

Cat sighed, grabbed her purse, and headed for the door. Her nervousness had been successfully cast out and she had an insanely hot girlfriend to take to dinner.


	4. Chapter 4

Cat arrived at Kara’s front door twenty-five minutes after she sent Carter to spend the weekend with his father. She knocked and waited nervously. When the door opened, Cat’s jaw dropped. “Wow.” She shook her head and looked up at Kara. “What did I ever do to deserve you?” she asked. 

Kara blushed, taking Cat’s hand and pulling her closer. “I should be asking that,” Kara whispered. She leaned into a gentle kiss. “Come in while I finish getting ready?” 

“Of course,” Cat said. She didn’t let go of Kara’s hand; instead, she stayed at her side as they went inside. 

Kara pulled Cat to the kitchen island, and only then let go so she could grab the power regulator. “I got held up on the way home,” she said as she adjusted the silver watch. “I literally saved a cat from a tree.” She smiled and waggled her eyebrows. “His name? Supercat!” 

Cat rolled her eyes. “With a name like that, shouldn’t he have saved himself?” 

Kara scoffed. “Even heroes need rescuing sometimes.” She grabbed her purse and held her elbow out to Cat. “Shall we?” 

“We shall,” Cat said with a smile. She threaded her hand around Kara’s firm arm and they made their way downstairs to the town car. 

Once in the backseat, Cat couldn’t stop smiling. 

“I’m glad Carter talked you through your mini-panic,” Kara said with gentle smile. 

Cat glanced away, embarrassed. 

“Hey, Alex talked me out a full-blown panic earlier,” Kara volunteered. 

Cat looked up and smiled. “And just what were you panicking about?” 

Kara took Cat’s hand. “Well, I know where I would like the night to end.” She traced the back of Cat’s hand and smiled when Cat shuddered.  “If we’re in agreement, and we have full consent on all sides,” Kara quickly clarified. She pulled Cat’s hand to her mouth and gave it a lingering kiss. When she released it, there was a vibrant, wine-colored lip print on the back of Cat’s hand. 

Cat swallowed loudly. “I believe we are definitely on the same page,” she said huskily. 

“That’s what I was panicked about,” Kara whispered. “Not about us moving to the next step. I totally want that,” she added hastily. She looked into Cat’s eyes. “But because my powers are fully back, and I don’t know what to expect.” 

Cat considered Kara’s words. “You’ve never been with anyone?” she asked tenderly. 

Kara shook her head. 

Cat pondered the implications. “And you’re worried about losing control?” she guessed. 

Kara nodded and looked down at the floor. 

Cat lifted Kara’s chin so she could look into her eyes. “Losing control generally means you’re doing something right,” she said wickedly. 

Kara smiled briefly, then rested her forearm on Cat’s shoulder and ran her fingers through the older woman’s honeyed hair. “It would kill me if I accidentally hurt you,” she said solemnly. 

Cat tugged Kara closer so they were eye to eye a few inches apart. “I get that,” she said fondly. “We will find our way. Remember, stronger together.” She smiled and pressed a gentle kiss on Kara’s lips. 

“El Mayara,” Kara said in Kryptonian. “Still, until I’m certain you’re safe, I’m using protection.” 

Cat laughed mischievously. “Have you been hiding some extra Kryptonian lady appendage under your super-skirt?” 

“No,” Kara said and then giggled. “If you recall, I told you that our species are completely identical externally.” Her expression shifted. “Alex designed me a power modulator. I can program it so I have human strength. 

“Really?” Cat asked. She scanned Kara and her eyes fell on the watch. “That’s new. Is that the device?” 

“Yeah,” Kara said, and she held her arm out. 

Cat gently cradled Kara’s wrist as she looked at the silver watch. It had a green face and analogue hands that told the time. There were digital numbers and letters in the center where the date would usually be displayed. The digital display read “H:0.9”. 

“What does that mean?” Cat asked. 

“The H is for human, and the number is the level of strength. I’m at ninety percent strength for an average human,” Kara explained. 

“Why do you have it turned down right now?” Cat’s tone was harsh. “Kara, if we were in an accident, you could be killed.” 

“So could you,” Kara reminded the CEO. 

“I was counting on your special skills to shield me if the worst happened,” Cat said as if Kara were slow on the uptake. 

“Oh, god, I didn’t even think of that!” Kara pressed a button, and then twisted the bezel a few clicks. She exhaled and her skin tone brightened. 

Cat hadn’t noticed that Kara’s color was a bit pale until it suddenly returned to its normal healthy vitality. “What the hell is that thing?” she asked quietly. She glared at it as if it were a venomous snake constricted around Kara’s arm. 

“It’s safe,” Kara stalled. “I train with something a lot stronger every time I spar with Alex.” 

Cat studied the watch critically and she noted the glowing green color of the watch. Her eyes widened and she looked at Kara with a furious expression. “Alex built a device that exposes you to kryptonite?” She whispered the last word as if merely saying it might harm Kara. 

“Low level,” Kara insisted. “The regulator monitors my vital signs, blood chemistry, and my energy level. It assesses all the data and determines the lowest dose needed to reduce my strength to the desired level.” 

“I hate it,” Cat said flatly. “And it’s hideous. It looks like a new age biofeedback monitor that Paltrow would sell for a thousand dollars on Goop.” 

“And I would buy five of them,” Kara said with a chuckle. “Alex said the tech in this thing is worth almost a hundred thousand dollars.” 

Cat sat a bit taller. “Well, I’m worth every penny, but I don’t like the idea of you being poisoned just so we can have sex.” 

Kara snorted. “You should have seen Alex trying to fill out the tech requisition.” 

“And how exactly did she justify the safe-sex watch?” Cat asked, clearly intrigued. 

Kara smiled cheekily. “It’s a ‘bio-medical power regulation device for training and covert operations,’ officially.” She giggled. “That’s Alex’s way of saying it’s for my ‘under the covers' activity.” 

“Does Congress know the taxpayers are underwriting our sex life?” Cat asked. 

“No,” Kara said flatly. “Besides, most of the technology was cobbled from my ship and from other alien tech. That cost is what would be required to manufacture it from scratch.” 

Cat folded her arms over her chest. “So, our magic sex watch is from the used jewelry bargain bin? That’s like buying underwear from the Goodwill store!” 

“Yes, that’s exactly what it is,” Kara said in a playfully serious tone. “I tried to figure out what would turn on the famous Cat Grant, Queen of All Media, and I came up with Goodwill underwear.” 

Cat laughed, leaning closer to kiss Kara soundly. When she finally broke the kiss, she carefully wiped the smudged lipstick from around Kara’s lips. “That dress you’re wearing is extremely form fitting, and I didn’t notice any panty lines.” She bit her lip wantonly. “I had assumed you weren’t wearing any underwear, Goodwill or not.” 

“It’s a sacrifice I made for fashion,” Kara explained. “I didn’t notice any unsightly panty lines on you either.” 

“Great minds think alike,” Cat said softly. She was leaning toward Kara when the town car came to a stop. She exhaled in frustration. “Looks like we’ve arrived.” 

“We sure have.” Kara was staring at Cat with a Disney princess smile that certainly violated several copyrights. 

“Keep looking at me like that, and we may have to skip dinner.” Cat was mostly joking. 

Kara looked out at the exclusive steakhouse and sighed as her stomach growled. “Maybe we can take dessert to go?” she suggested as she turned toward Cat. “That way, we technically had a third date.” She adjusted her regulator nervously. 

“Deal,” Cat said contentedly. Just as the driver opened the door, Cat was hit by the sound of paparazzi yelling her name. “Close,” Cat said angrily. The door slammed shut and Cat took a deep breath. 

“Do you want to go somewhere else?” Kara asked. She’d been looking forward to trying the world-famous steakhouse, but Cat’s comfort meant more than any meal. 

Cat smiled at Kara. “Absolutely not,” she said sincerely. “I just thought you might want some time to compose yourself.” 

“As long as I’m with you, I can face anything,” Kara said vehemently. She lowered her glasses and scowled. “Why are there so many of them?” 

Cat laughed. “What name did you use for the reservation?” 

“Abby Bartlett,” Kara said. 

Cat raised one eyebrow. “The First Lady from Sorkin’s _West_ _Wing_?” 

Kara blushed, which she’d been doing with greater frequency lately. “I always pick a strong woman.” Kara eyes widened. “No, no, no,” she whispered. She lowered her glasses again and scanned the inside of the restaurant, seeing several DEO agents dressed as staff. Luckily, Alex was not present. “I’m going to kill my sister,” Kara said in a hiss. 

Cat sighed and leaned back against the seat. “Did she implement the emergency plan without telling you?” 

“Yes,” Kara said grumpily. 

Cat wrapped her arms around Kara. “Darling, we might as well address it head on.” She kissed Kara’s cheek. “It’s always best to get ahead of the story.” 

“You’re right,” Kara agreed. She was silent as Cat wiped the lipstick smudge off her cheek. “I would have preferred that she let me know ahead of time.” 

Cat chuckled darkly. “Oh, trust me, Alexandra and I will be having a very pointed discussion about interrupting our plans without talking to us first.” 

Kara’s smile was wicked. “Can I watch?” 

“Of course,” Cat said, as if Kara should have known that fact. “Let’s go face our public.” She pushed a buzzer on the door panel. It sent a chime to the driver’s earpiece. 

The door opened and Cat allowed her driver to assist her out of the car. As she turned around and took Kara’s hand to help her climb to her feet, they were bombarded with yelled questions and requests for them to pose. 

Both Cat and Kara ignored them until one second-string idiot from TMZ yelled. “Did you invite Supergirl to dinner? Did she make the reservations herself?” 

Cat had her hand on the small of Kara’s back. She squeezed gently and Kara stopped in unison with her. 

Cat’s eyes found the scruffy cameraman several rows back in the throng. “Why on Earth would I invite Supergirl when I have the most beautiful woman on the planet already on my arm?” She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Come on, darling.” She ushered Kara forward. 

“There she is!” yelled one of the reporters. The group turned as Supergirl landed at the end of the red carpet. 

“Miss Grant, I didn’t know you were dining here tonight,” said Supergirl uncertainly. “I’m so sorry. I should go.” 

“No, you should stay,” Kara said. “I used a pseudonym on the reservations. It’s my fault.” She shifted nervously. 

“Is Supergirl dating you too?” the TMZ cameraman yelled. 

“No,” Supergirl said. She marched up and glared at the gathered crowd. “If at all possible, I try not to be in the same place as Miss Danvers.” She looked at Kara apologetically. 

A chorus of ‘why?’ filled the air. 

Kara smiled politely at Supergirl and mouthed, “It’s okay. Go ahead.” 

Supergirl scanned the crowd until she found a network reporter she recognized. “Miss Cordero?” 

The woman nodded and shoved her way to the front of the crowd, holding a microphone up to the hero. 

Cat had her arm around Kara protectively. Kara was slouching and trying to blend into the pavement, which was impossible since she looked like a supermodel in her short black spandex dress and killer heels. 

Miss Cordero leaned closer to Supergirl. “What’s the history between you and Miss Danvers? You both seem awkward.” 

“We are,” Supergirl said. She stared into the camera and looked every part the hero. “I’m, well, I am ashamed because I have imposed on Miss Danvers in the most personal way imaginable.” 

The crowd was quiet except for the sound of cameras clicking. 

“You’re all used to seeing me by now, but this isn’t how I looked on my homeworld.” She motioned toward her face. “My parents programmed my pod to adjust my appearance so I could blend in when I arrived here.” 

“In what ways are your people different from ours?” Miss Cordero asked. 

“Kryptonians have vibrant purple eyes, and our skin tone is bone white due to our lack of a yellow sun that would have caused us to evolve melatonin,” Supergirl lied. 

“Are you saying you wear a disguise?” the reporter asked. 

“Not exactly,” Supergirl said. “My pod, my spaceship, was programmed to manipulate my appearance at the molecular level so that I would look human.” She reached her hand out to Kara. 

Kara shook her head, but Cat urged her forward. 

“My pod sent a kind of microscopic drone out that sought out someone the same age as me who was in good health and, well, borrowed their physical structure using a bit of their DNA. It was no bigger than a flake of skin.” She gave Kara an apologetic glance. “It never occurred to me that if I came forward, it could make that woman’s life uncomfortable.” 

Cat walked with Kara up to Supergirl’s side. 

Supergirl appeared several inches taller than Kara, and her hero’s posture looked like she was ready to pose for an action figure. “I only discovered recently that my unwitting donor worked for CATCO.” 

Kara leaned closer to Cat. 

“She doesn’t look like you,” one of the men yelled. 

“I know, right?” Kara said. She adjusted her glasses and pointed at the hero. “Look at her.” Kara waved her hand at Supergirl’s physique. “That is not me.” She pointed at herself. 

“Are you dating Miss Danvers because she looks like Supergirl?” someone at the back of the crowd yelled. 

Cat’s glare caused the crowd to open like she was Media Moses parting the Reporter Sea, and the sea revealed a man who stood alone at the curb. “Let’s be clear on this,” Cat said angrily. “Kara does not look like Supergirl. Supergirl’s god-forsaken space ship randomly picked Kara’s appearance as a template.” She pointed at Supergirl. “ _She_ is the copy of Kara.” She smiled at Kara. “And I find Kara to be far more attractive.” 

“They’re not even the same height,” Miss Cordero pointed out. 

“Kara, do you mind?” Cat asked gently. 

Kara sighed. “So, before you ask, no. I will _never_ appear as her at parties.” 

The crowd laughed. 

“Frankly, even I didn’t notice the similarities at first until Cat pointed them out.” Kara moved next to Supergirl. “Hi,” she said nervously. 

Supergirl smiled as Kara pulled the clip from her hair and shook her hair down. 

Miss Cordero tilted her head to one side and squinted. “I see the similarity,” she said slowly. “But identical?” She shook her head. 

Kara sighed. “Fine.” She looked down at the ground, handed Cat her glasses, and stood to her full height, giving the crowd a stilted, somewhat snooty glare. 

The crowd gasped. 

“Oh, my god,” said the network reporter. 

“Yeah, well, she’s the hero, not me.” Kara took her glasses back from Cat. “I can’t even see your face with these off, and I’d really like to go have dinner with my beautiful girlfriend now, okay?” 

“I really am sorry,” Supergirl said as she bent down to look into Kara’s eyes. 

Kara shrugged. “Neither one of us chose this.” 

Cat urged Kara forward. “Supergirl is your story, people,” she called out to the crowd. “We’re just two women in love.” 

“Miss Grant!” the group began yelling. 

“How long have you been dating?” Miss Cordero called out. “Are you sure they’re not twins?” 

Supergirl laughed. “I wish I had a twin. This city keeps me extremely busy.” 

The reporters moved closer to Supergirl as soon as Cat and Kara disappeared behind the restaurant door. 

Supergirl spoke briefly to them, but before she could go inside, she paused and turned her head to listen to something in the distance. 

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m needed down at the docks. Sounds like a two-alarm fire.” She lifted into the air, but paused a few feet off the ground. “Please leave Miss Danvers alone. She had no choice in how I look, and she had no say in my choice to step into the public eye.” She looked across town and then flew into the night. 

Once Supergirl was above the clouds, her eyes briefly flashed Martian red and she keyed her earpiece. “Danvers, this better work because this skirt is ridiculous,” she said in a tone that was much more Hank’s style. Hank knew he would need to continue to impersonate Supergirl if the ruse was going to work, and he wasn’t looking forward to it. 

“Ah, come on,” Alex said over the receiver. “It’s slimming, and it matches your eyes.” 

Supergirl’s eyes flashed red again. “Tread lightly, Agent,” Hank said in Kara’s voice. 

Alex’s giggle was the only reply.  

Inside the restaurant, the maître d’ took Cat and Kara to a secluded table that overlooked the city. 

Kara quickly slid into the booth and moved close enough to Cat that their legs pressed together from knee to hip. “I feel like I’m going to throw up,” she whispered, and then scowled. “I think.” She looked at Cat. “What does nausea feel like?” 

Cat laughed and took Kara by the chin, turning her head so she could place a slow kiss on her lips. “Better?” she asked when she broke the kiss. 

Kara’s eyes were still closed. “Yeah,” she said dreamily. She opened her eyes and smiled at Cat. “I’m really looking forward to dessert,” she whispered. 

“Me too,” Cat admitted. She took Kara’s hand, moving their joined hands under the table to rest them on Cat’s thigh. “You’re turning me into a lovesick schoolgirl.” 

“Good,” Kara said under her breath. “I never dated in high school, and according to Lucy, I missed out on an American rite of passage by never ‘parking’ with my sweetheart.” 

“Miss Lane is a great lawyer, but she is most definitely wrong on that fact.” Cat stared into Kara’s eyes. “I’m thrilled that you missed out on clumsy groping sessions in the backseat. Having one’s first sexual experience while rolling around in a car almost always guaranteed a premature experience that either included incorrectly used birth control or none at all.”

“Dodged that bullet,” Kara said with a smirk. “Something tells me our night won’t resemble that in any way.” 

“It won’t,” Cat promised. She saw the waiter coming over and turned to give him her attention. 

The waiter told them the specials, but Cat ordered her favorite: a filet, medium rare, and scampi cooked table-side.  Kara ordered a bone-in rib-eye, medium. 

Halfway through the main course, Kara was in heaven. She was fighting the urge to moan with each bite. “Oh… bi-wan Kenobi, I had no idea steak could taste like this.” 

Cat was enjoying watching Kara’s expressions. She hoped Kara would be as expressive once they went home for dessert. “Why don’t we make a monthly reservation?” Cat suggested. She couldn’t take her eyes off Kara. 

Kara nodded as she finished swallowing. “This is amazing,” she whispered. She cut through the rib-eye with the side of her fork and then held up her watch, set to ‘H:0.9’ so Cat would see that it was tender enough to cut even at human strength. 

“I’d like to take you to dinner at least once a week. We’ll try all the highest reviewed places,” Cat said. “Only the best for Cat Grant’s girlfriend.”’ 

“I have _the_ _best_ by virtue of having you,” Kara said casually. She used her fork to point at Cat and then back to her own plate. “Food is just a bonus.” 

Cat turned her head, embarrassed by how easily the words rolled from Kara’s lips. Cat had been flattered by many men and women, and she could detect a rehearsed line even as it was being delivered. What touched Cat’s heart was that Kara was just stating what she considered a commonly accepted fact. 

“Cat?” Kara asked. She placed her fork down and wiped her hands with her napkin. “Are you okay? Did I say something wrong?” She rested her hand on Cat’s shoulder. 

“No,” Cat said as she shook her head. She turned back to face Kara. “I love you, Kara Danvers,” she whispered. “So much that it makes my heart ache.” 

Kara’s eyes shone and Cat was given a firsthand view of the Kara Danvers Disney princess smile. 

It took Kara a moment to compose herself. “From the moment I met you, even when you did your very best to seem mean and scary, my world felt right whenever I was with you.” She caressed Cat’s cheek. “I don’t want to make your heart ache, Cat.” She leaned forward and pressed a kiss next to Cat’s ear. “I want to make it soar,” she whispered. 

“You do,” Cat said roughly. 

“Good,” Kara said as she moved back in place in front of her steak. She took a bite and her eyes fluttered closed. Once she swallowed, she looked at Cat with a huge smile. “So good,” she said. 

Cat watched as Kara enjoyed the expensive meal in a way that made Cat think she had clearly underpaid for that particular steak.  She rested her svelte arm on the back of the booth and was as regal as any queen. 

Kara glanced at Cat and paused to finish swallowing. “You remind me of home,” she whispered. 

Cat could tell Kara was talking about Krypton by the way the younger woman’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “In what way?” Cat asked soothingly. 

Kara’s smile finally reached her deep blue eyes. “The first time I saw you in your office, I thought you must be from my…” She glanced around before continuing. “From my… home town.” 

Cat’s raised eyebrows showed her question as clearly as if she had asked, ‘Why?’ 

“The way you carry yourself,” Kara explained as she scooted closer so no one could overhear. “You have a natural elegance and confidence, and a bearing that suggests you came from one of the highest-ranking houses.” She blushed and looked at her hands on her lap. “I... I used to have that, back home.” 

Cat reached down and covered Kara’s hands. 

Kara continued, her voice soft and filled with wonder. “I always knew my place in the world, and I never experienced a moment without knowing I was loved and cherished, and that I had value and my thoughts were not just accepted, they were sought out.” She cleared her throat. “I had a spot in the Science Council waiting for when I finished my schooling, and I knew that I would excel no matter what I did.” 

Cat closed her eyes and sighed. It broke her heart that Kara had literally been a planet’s golden child only to be forced to pretend she was mediocre. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “You really think that’s the way I carry myself?” 

“Oh, yeah.” Kara looked into Cat’s hazel eyes. Kara sighed, remembering the life and sense of self she'd lost, and then she thought of Cat’s life and smiled. “Which is freaking amazing since you grew up with your mother.” 

Cat laughed and gave Kara’s hand a gentle squeeze. She could see that Kara was becoming overwhelmed. “They’ll take that steak if you leave it abandoned too long.” 

“They will not,” Kara said with mock indignation lacing her tone. She quickly gave her steak some of her attention. 

“Thank you for telling me that,” Cat said as she picked at her own meal. “You do realize my confidence comes from knowing that I am self-reliant, right?” 

Kara glanced at Cat through her eyelashes without lifting her face. “Maybe soon you’ll also know that you are cherished beyond even _your_ wildest imagination.” 

Cat smiled took a deep breath. “Thank you, darling,” she managed to whisper despite the way her throat tightened. She took a sip of her wine to stop herself from crawling into Kara’s lap and kissing her senseless. 

“Just stating a fact.” Kara nodded and dug into her meal with gusto. 

To lighten the mood, they switched to the safer topic of movies. Cat was a secret fan of all things sci-fi. Kara admitted they were a good distraction, but they held very little accurate science. 

Cat was smiling brightly. “Okay, exactly why won’t transporters work?” she asked as she rested her elbow on the back of the booth with her hand supporting her cheek. “We can already transmit pictures through the air and print them at home. That’s practically a transporter.” 

Kara was smiling so wide her cheeks ached. “Matter is not the same as data,” she said with a giggle. “Transporters are basically a molecular blender that shoots human smoothies across space--which has no gravity, so that smoothie would just float away, I might add.” She gave Cat a sweet smile. “Then they somehow put that human smoothie back together at the other end.” She laughed and then snorted. “As soon as you can put the individual berries of your smoothies back together like the world’s tiniest jigsaw puzzle-- _and_ they are in perfect condition--then I’ll reconsider.” 

Cat frowned as she considered Kara’s challenge. “Fine,” she said begrudgingly. “But light sabers can totally be a thing.” 

Kara reached the final bite of her steak, and sighed forlornly. She speared it with her fork and pointed it at Cat.  “Lasers are light; hence, the name light saber.” 

“I knew that,” Cat said with a chuckle. 

Kara pointed the steak at her again.  “How many beams of light have you seen stop in midair?” 

“None yet,” Cat countered, though she saw Kara’s point. 

“That’s because if Luke turned on a light-laser-plasma-whatever-the heck-it’s-made of inside a ship? It would continue on indefinitely right into space. Fighting with two of them inside a building? The walls would be chopped to pieces as would anyone the thing pointed at.” 

Cat crossed her arms over she chest. “I think I’m hearing the tone you had back in your home town,” she said playfully. 

Kara smirked and then slowly moved the last bite of steak to her mouth, moaning as her eyes fell closed. 

Cat used the opportunity to move the half of her own filet onto Kara’s plate. 

Kara looked down at her plate and her eyes widened like Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy were suddenly real and had magically filled her plate. She paused with her fork over the charred filet. “I don’t want you to go hungry,” she said seriously. 

“I already ate more than I should have,” Cat admitted. “Go ahead. Watching you eat is practically steak porn.” 

Kara looked at Cat skeptically. 

“No, that is not actually a thing,” Cat said with a chuckle. 

“Thank god,” Kara said and then giggled. 

By the time they finished their meal, both were completely enthralled by the other. The waiter came to offer dessert, and Cat asked for two of the chef’s special mini chocolate cakes which had chocolate mousse filling and a dark chocolate ganache icing.  They decided if they took them to go, they would surely be abandoned in the back seat of the town car. 

They had coffee with the small cakes, and Kara listened as Cat recalled her college days with her roommate. That roommate was now the President of the United States, and Kara was scandalized by some of their antics. 

Cat signed for the meal as Kara finished the last of Cat’s dessert. 

Kara looked ready to lick the plate, but then she saw Cat’s expression. Cat’s eyes were feasting on Kara. 

“Ready?” Kara bit her lip and raised her eyebrows. 

“Absolutely,” Cat said. Her smile suggested she might just end up licking a plate named Kara very soon. 

The two made their way through the restaurant, but neither had eyes for anyone other than each other. 

As Kara passed a table with two men having drinks, the man facing her stood and bumped into her, knocking her black clutch purse from her hand. 

“Sorry,” he said, even as Kara knelt down to retrieve the purse. 

“It’s my fault,” Kara said happily. “I’m kind of distracted.” 

Cat’s hackles went up. She caught movement from the corner of her eye and saw that the other man at the booth had a small professional camera. She moved toward Kara just as the kneeling man stabbed a fork into Kara’s forearm when she reached for her purse. 

Kara let out a scream and yanked her hand away. “Son of a sith!” she yelled. She looked down at four angry wounds; each had blood oozing up like tiny roses forming buds. She hissed as she cradled the arm and the buds of crimson broke, streaking down her forearm. 

Cat rushed forward and yanked Kara away from the assailant, going on the offensive. She grabbed the man by his hair and quickly slammed her knee into his face. Cat backed clear of him when he cried out, his hands going to his now bloody nose. 

Guarding Kara from further attacks, Cat looked at the maître d,’ relieved to see that he had already signaled the restaurant’s security. 

“Why would he do that?” Kara demanded as she pressed her hand over the wound and held her arm up over her head. Blood trickled down toward her elbow. 

Cat spun toward the man on the floor and the scathing look she gave him made him pull his knees to his chest to protect himself. “He did it to get an exclusive,” she said dangerously. “What, you thought she actually is Supergirl, you fucking idiot?” She grabbed a clean napkin off an empty table and pressed it against Kara’s arm. 

“It really hurts,” Kara said quietly. She was transfixed by the bright flashes of red on the starched white fabric.  The stains grew as she watched. 

The security, who just happened to be DEO agents, arrived and Cat pointed at the offender. “We will be pressing charges for assault,” she told him. “I trust you will detain him until the NCPD arrive?” 

The two DEO ‘security men’ were in black slacks, crisp white dress shirts, and black blazers. They grabbed the man and roughly yanked him to his feet. Their eyes gave no suggestion that they recognized Kara as their frequent coworker. 

The attacker's eyes watered. “She broke my nose,” he said from under his bloody hand. 

“He stabbed my girlfriend,” Cat said calmly. “My attorney will be in contact with the celebrity stalking officer within the hour. I want a restraining order, for Kara and me, and a search of his home to check for weapons.” 

Kara squeezed Cat’s arm and raised one eyebrow a fraction of a centimeter and her eyes darted toward the man still at the table. 

Cat’s face flickered with a micro-expression. 

 Kara’s eyes showed her comprehension and she ignored the man at the table. The exchange was so subtle, even the trained DEO agents didn’t notice. 

Cat’s call woke her lawyer and she gave him the details. He promised to have a paralegal at the Courthouse when it opened to submit the petition for a restraining order, which he would immediately draft himself. Once the police arrived, Cat and Kara gave their accounts, as did several diners. The man was escorted to jail by the NCPD. Given that he had attacked a celebrity’s date, the case was high priority. 

The police offered to escort Kara to the hospital, but Cat made it clear she would make her own arrangements, and that the physician would submit a report to the District Attorney. 

Once they were safely in the town car, Cat’s adrenaline wore off. “Kara, are you okay?” she asked. 

“I’m fine,” Kara promised. “That nice police woman even put a dressing on it for me.” 

“The one who was more focused on your cleavage than the injury?” Cat asked with a smile. 

“Was she?” Kara asked. 

Cat nodded. “Not that I can blame her.” She picked up Kara’s arm and pressed a kiss over the well-applied dressing. “Your cleavage is exquisite.” She leaned closer and pressed another kiss at the top of the cleavage in question. 

Kara moaned louder than she had when she tasted the rib-eye. “How do you do that?” she asked with a shiver. 

“I’m very motivated.” Cat’s attention was now focused on making Kara moan again and again. She shifted her weight and moved closer. “Are you still up for staying the night?” 

“Are you kidding?” Kara asked. “I am _so_ up for that.” Her voice was gravelly. “Oh, I’m up for a lot more of that, too,” she added when Cat kissed her neck and bit the sensitive curve where her neck met her shoulder. 

Cat straddled Kara’s lap with one graceful maneuver. “Are you sure your arm doesn’t hurt too badly?” 

“It’s not that bad,” Kara’s words were cut off by a groan as Cat settled her weight into place. “Jesus fucking fuck, Cat, how can that feel so… oh god, yes.” She lifted her hips to meet Cat’s weight. She bit her lip and pulled Cat closer. “If it starts to hurt, I can just dial back the regulator so it will heal.” 

“No, actually, you can’t,” Cat whispered as she continued kissing Kara’s neck. “A doctor has to check the injury and write a report, and people are going to want to see it tomorrow.” 

“As long as we keep doing this, I don’t care if it ever heals.” Kara gently guided Cat’s face closer so she could kiss her. 

Cat moaned into the kiss, and that moan became louder when Kara’s hands settled on Cat’s hips and slowly moved down to the bottom of the dress. 

Kara tugged the dress higher and caressed the exposed skin. “Are we at the penthouse yet?” she asked when they broke the kiss to breathe. 

“We will be soon,” Cat promised. She held Kara’s face and kissed her deeply, exploring more passionately than she had previously. One hand moved down and caressed Kara’s breast over the top of the spandex dress. “This is coming off as soon as we cross the threshold,” she said as she breathed heavily. 

“Definitely,” Kara agreed. She tugged at Cat’s dress. “I might take this off you in the elevator.” 

“It _is_ a private elevator and it opens into my living room,” Cat said before she sucked on Kara’s pulse point. 

Kara turned her head to provide better access. “So, technically, the elevator _is_ the threshold?” 

“Sexy and brilliant,” Cat said and then returned to exploring Kara’s neck. 

They traded kisses the rest of the short ride home. There were several reporters in front of Cat’s building when they arrived, so the driver went to the private underground entrance. Cat’s curiosity was piqued. She checked the news feed on the TV in back of the town car. She was unsurprised to see the lead stories were Supergirl explaining that she had a human analogue, and footage of Kara being stabbed by a TMZ reporter. 

The footage of Cat Grant leaping to the defense of her lover was running on all channels. Kara was outraged, but Cat soothed her immediately by pointing out that the video of her bleeding and in pain at the same time there was footage of Supergirl across town helping to knock down a fire on the docks would cement their story.  That it was secret footage from TMZ, and they had sold the images to all of the stations as exclusive footage taken ‘without the knowledge of Cat Grant or her lover,’ made it the perfect cover. 

“So you knew that sleazy guy would post the footage. That’s why you didn’t want to have him arrested, too,” Kara said. She winced when she saw the news feed of her yelping in pain, and then laughed when Cat came to her rescue. “Looks like your self-defense classes paid off.” She looked shyly at Cat. “You really are my hero,” she said sincerely. “You don’t even have powers, yet you jumped between me and that man to keep me safe.” 

“I wasn’t that heroic.” Cat downplayed her actions. “I saw the guy with the covert camera, so I knew we were dealing with slimy paparazzi and not stalkers. I just wish I had anticipated the idiot was going to stab you.” She picked up Kara’s arm and caressed the skin at the edge of the bandage. 

Kara shrugged. “It worked out in our favor,” she said as she nodded at the _Daily_ _Planet_ ’s coverage. 

Cat rolled her eyes at the scroll under the TMZ footage. It read, “Queen of All Media Cat Grant more Super than her Damsel in Distress.” 

“That's lazy writing,” Cat complained.  “But I’ll take it if it keeps the press off the real story.” 

Kara took Cat’s hand in her own. “I can’t believe you decked that guy,” she said a bit in awe. 

Cat looked into Kara’s eyes intensely. “He hurt you,” Cat said passionately. “He’s lucky I only broke his nose.” She shook her head. “I’m so sorry. I never dreamed they would plot to harm you.” 

“How could you have known that?” Kara asked. “No reputable reporter would physically attack someone for a headline.” Kara looked down at the regulator watch on her wrist. “It’s a good thing I had this on, or the story would have been a lot different when they saw the fork bend.” 

Cat sighed and turned off the TV. “I hate the idea of you being vulnerable.” 

“I don’t mind being vulnerable with you, Cat.” She nodded toward the door. “You’ve always had the power to get past my defenses.” 

Cat smiled brazenly. “Right now, I’ll settle for getting past that dress.” 

Kara smiled wantonly. “Now that’s a story I’d love to investigate.” 

By the time the elevator reached the penthouse, their dresses were not on the floor, but both women’s passions were fully aroused. They kissed as Cat backed down the hall toward her bedroom, but Kara’s dress only made it halfway there. Cat’s was discarded within two more steps. 

When they reached the bed, Cat pivoted and began easing Kara onto the mattress. Kara was so used to having powers that she allowed herself to tumble back with Cat in her arms. 

“Oh,” Kara said as the wind was knocked out of her. She kept her arms around Cat as she caught her breath. 

“Missing those powers right about now?” Cat asked with a playful smirk. She shifted her position so she was holding a good part of her own weight on one knee and an elbow. “Darling, I’m thrilled that you’re enthusiastic, but how about we slow things down so we can savor this?” She leaned closer and pressed slow, hungry kisses from Kara’s shoulder to her neck. 

“Screw my powers.” Kara turned her head to give Cat better access. “When you kiss me like that, I feel like I’m already flying.”  Kara’s back arched instinctively when Cat’s hand caressed her breast. 

Cat lifted her head and let her eyes drink in Kara’s heavenly curves. “More perfect than even I thought possible.” Cat dipped down to kiss Kara’s mouth and they were lost in the sensations. 

After both women were pushed to the point of gasping for air, Kara shifted her weight and rolled gently over so she could look down onto the vision of Cat pressed against the sheets, her pupils wide with desire. 

“You’re the one who is absolutely perfect,” Kara said as she caressed Cat’s cheek. “Exquisite.” Kara’s eyes wandered downward, and her hand followed the same path. “Stunning.” She moved her hand slowly so her fingertips could map the heavenly landscape, the swell of Cat’s breast, the dip from at the edge of her lower rib that sloped downward to meet the tiny rise of Cat’s toned belly. 

Cat’s skin tingled at the touch, but her gaze was locked on Kara’s face.  Cat was used to the public devouring images of her on magazines, of men peering with looks filled only with lust, but no one had ever looked at her with the pure devotion and amazement she saw in the blue eyes above her. 

Kara smiled warmly at Cat when she caught her staring. “Sorry, I’m kind of mesmerized.” 

“Go ahead,” Cat said lovingly. She wanted Kara to get used to touching a lover, and if the current pounding of Cat’s heart was any indication of Kara’s ability, Cat was in for an earth-shattering night. 

Kara smiled, but didn’t say a word. She leaned down and followed the course her fingers had plotted, but this time with her lips and tongue. Reverent kisses were interspersed with playful bites she soothed with her searing tongue. Even with her powers held at bay by the regulator, Kara’s body temperature was still 4 degrees higher, always at least 102 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Kara was drawn lower by the desperate need to finally touch Cat, to truly touch her in the most intimate way, but when her hand caressed Cat’s thighs and those thighs opened to welcome her, she paused. 

The hesitation pulled Cat’s attention immediately to Kara. Their eyes met and Cat’s felt a swell of tenderness for her younger lover. “Yes, darling,” she said, giving her consent. 

Kara nodded, but she moved higher and kissed Cat’s lips. When she eased away, she paused again. “I, uh, well, I washed my hands before that officer bandaged me, but I’ve touched a million things since then.” She glanced toward the door to Cat’s private bath. “I really should make sure I don’t, you know, touch you without being like, super clean.” 

Cat smiled. She was so caught up in the passion and her desire for Kara, her famous hatred of germs had fled. Kara’s caution and her keen awareness of Cat’s needs made Cat fall a bit further in love with her. “You always take such wonderful care of me,” she whispered. “Come with me,” she said as she sat up. “We’ll shower together.” She rose from the bed and took Kara’s hand. As she led her through the en suite, a thought occurred to her. “Kara, when your powers went out during that earthquake, you got sick. Does that mean your immune system is weakened by the regulator?” Cat asked. 

“No,” Kara said, but she was distracted by the view of Cat’s elegant body. “Alex said it wouldn’t alter my immune system unless it got down to 60 percent of human strength. The regulator is locked from going below 85 percent.” 

“Good,” Cat said with a tender smile. She adjusted the shower and Kara took that opportunity to scamper to the smaller room at the opposite side of the huge bathroom as used the restroom.  

Cat laughed when she saw Kara wash her hands before getting into the shower. “Hop in,” she said as she squeezed past Kara in front of the shower. “I’ll join you in a minute.” 

Kara removed her bandage, climbed into the shower, and sighed. Being without her powers allowed her to feel so much more. It wasn’t that her Kryptonian gifts dulled her senses, in fact, it was just the opposite. She felt too much. She had to learn to block out almost everything as a defense mechanism. Her decreased strength made that unnecessary. She looked down and saw four evenly-spaced puncture wounds. Each mark was circled by reddened skin, and a bruise was forming around the entire area. 

Cat slipped into the shower behind Kara and pressed against her back. 

“Oh, that is incredible,” Kara said as she shuddered with arousal. She twisted inside the tangle of Cat’s arms so they were facing each other. 

Cat guided Kara so they were both under the multiple showerheads. “You realize I was so turned on by you, I forgot my phobia of germs?” 

Kara smiled. “That’s why you have me to take care of you.” She pressed a gentle kiss to Cat’s forehead. “I love you, Cat, and I will always have your safety in the back of mind so I never accidentally cause you harm.” 

Cat’s eyes were drawn to Kara’s wristwatch. “Is that thing waterproof?” 

“Down to 600 meters,” Kara explained, but then frowned. “Which is _ridiculously_ deep if I am at human strength.” 

Cat’s rich laughter echoed in the huge shower. She reached past Kara to get a bar of handmade soap. After she had a huge amount of lather, she returned the bar and washed injured arm before turning Kara around and washing her back and shoulders. “Jesus, Kara, are you sure you weren’t carved by the ancient Greeks?” She ran her hand down and over Kara’s hip. “Actually, you’re more gorgeous than anything Michelangelo could imagine.” 

Kara turned and kissed Cat. When she pulled away, she looked into her lover’s eyes. “I’ve never really felt beautiful on Earth. I was so concerned with hiding.” She smiled shyly. “I feel beautiful when you look at me.” Kara took the soap and continued washing. 

Cat was stunned into silence. She quickly washed herself and turned off the water as soon as Kara was finished. As she wrapped a huge towel around Kara, she found her voice. “You have always been a stunningly beautiful woman.” She dried Kara’s skin a bit roughly due to her indignation. “I will be talking to your family about the effects of making a young woman devalue herself because it’s more convenient for them.” 

Kara took a towel from the rack and slowly dried Cat. “They were protecting me,” she said softly. “Besides, when I first got here, I still had quite a bit of my Kryptonian arrogance.” 

Cat gave her a dubious look. 

“Trust me,” Kara said. "It was pretty bad."

Cat tossed away the towel when Kara was dry and stared at Kara’s striking figure. “Well, if they all looked like you, that is not arrogance.” She ran her hand from Kara’s shoulder and down to cup her breast. 

Kara gasped and arched into Cat’s touch. 

Cat smiled. “That’s just knowing your value.” She leaned down and took the pebbled nipple in her mouth. 

Kara entwined both hands in Cat’s hair and held her close as she moved toward the bedroom. 

Cat moved her mouth away to smirk at the fact that both of Kara’s nipples were standing up as if searching for Cat’s mouth, even though only one had been touched. “Someone's in a hurry,” Cat said in a pleased tone as she backed with  Kara steering her. 

Kara eased Cat onto the bed and crawled up with her. “I’ve been waiting more than two years to touch you without it being just a dream.” She settled between Cat’s legs as if they had been doing the sensual dance for years already. 

Cat drew in a deep breath when Kara pressed down onto her. “Then maybe you should do just that.” She whimpered when Kara shifted her position. 

Kara’s eyes fluttered closed as soon as she felt Cat’s slick heat against her own taut stomach muscles. “Yes, Miss Grant,” she said, and then she leaned down to eagerly follow that order. 


	5. Chapter 5

Cat woke before Kara, and she had no desire to move. She watched Kara, marveling at the way her sleeping face would switch from serene to thoughtful, as if she was contemplating the universe and all its mysteries.  It made her look wise beyond her years, and Cat wondered if it was Kara who had changed, or just her own perception of the sleeping woman.

Kara’s nose twitched and her breathing changed as she climbed toward consciousness.

Cat smiled as she waited expectantly to see the blue eyes she’d stared into as they’d made love throughout the night. She didn’t have to wait long. 

Kara’s eyes opened and it took a split second for her to recognize where she was. “Hey,” she said. Her smile was dazzling. “Good morning.” She reached out and took Cat’s hand. Her eyebrows crinkled. “How long have you been watching me?” 

“Not nearly long enough,” said Cat, voice sleep-roughened and hoarse with emotion. 

Kara’s smile remained and her eyes sparkled. “Should I go back to sleep?” 

“If you want.” Cat glanced toward the door to the hall. “I was planning to make us coffee and breakfast.” 

Kara’s eyes widened and she wiggled excitedly. “Breakfast?” 

“It’s not donuts or sticky buns,” Cat warned. 

Kara laughed and leaned forward and took her time to give Cat a thorough kiss. Once she was finished, she scooted closer and draped an arm around Cat. “I just want some sustenance so we can come back to bed. I need to taste you again.” 

Cat’s pupils dilated and she felt her pulse pound a familiar rhythm between her legs. “That’s a plan I thoroughly endorse.”  She smiled and ran her hand along Kara’s side until she gripped her hip. “Or we _could_ postpone breakfast for a while?” 

“I did have a huge dinner,” Kara pointed out. She laughed when Cat moved on top of her. 

“Don’t forget the dessert.” Cat straddled Kara’s hips, then pressed her body against Kara’s, kissing her with abandon. 

Their first food of the day was a very late lunch. Despite Kara’s insistence that they stay in bed, Cat knew Kara was hungry by the loud growling of her stomach. She thought if it got much louder, the building security might report an escaped bear on the rampage. 

They were having Caesar salad with grilled chicken breasts when Cat’s phone rang. It took them a few minutes to find it where they had dropped the night before during their passionate travels toward the bedroom. 

Cat chose to ignore it. 

The phone went to voicemail only to begin ringing again immediately, so Kara retrieved it. “It’s Alex,” she said, not sure if she should answer or give it to Cat since it was her phone. 

Cat lifted her chin, letting Kara know she should answer. 

“Hello?” Kara said. 

“You’re still with Cat?” There was a playful tone of scandal in Alex’s voice. “No walk of shame yet?” 

“Neither of us will be making any walk of shame,” Kara said honestly. She was would never be ashamed of their love. “Why are you calling Cat?” 

“Because your phone goes straight to voicemail. Did you forget to charge it last night?” Alex said sweetly. “Oh, wait, you were too busy exceeding Cat’s expectations.” Alex giggled and added, “Sexually.” 

“I _totally_ did that,” Kara said wickedly. “Last night and this morning, and this afternoon…” 

“Ack!” Alex squealed. “Okay, you win. I actually called to ask if Cat’s doctor treated your arm last night like she told the cops.” 

“I was a little busy exceeding Cat’s expectations,” Kara said with a snort.  She smiled when Cat leaned over her shoulder. 

“Sexually,” Cat added in a sultry tone. 

Alex pulled together every ounce of her DEO agent resolve to suppress the urge to run to the nearest med bay to rinse her ear out with rubbing alcohol. “Fine, get it out of your systems,” she said in a professional tone. “Kara, please tell me you haven’t taken off the regulator, because we need photos and a known MD to examine that.” 

Cat was using her position at Kara’s shoulder to her advantage. She pressed wet, lingering kisses on Kara’s neck while she reached around and caressed Kara’s belly. 

“Nuh uh,” Kara murmured distractedly. 

Alex’s eyes narrowed as she used her powers of deductive reasoning to explain why Kara’s voice was strained and much higher than usual. “Man! You guys cannot be doing this while you’re on the phone with me!” She shuddered. “That is creepy and gross.” 

Cat’s ear was close enough to the receiver that she heard Alex’s horrified comment. “Alexandra, if you do not want us to torment you by entertaining each other, _sexually_ , while you’re on the phone, maybe you should consult Kara before you activate any emergency plans.” 

“Deal,” Alex said instantly. “Hell, I promise, from now on, I’ll send a courier with handwritten calligraphy on the announcement. Okay?” 

“That will suffice,” Cat said, though her hand was still resting on Kara’s abs. 

“Good,” Alex said with a relieved sigh. “Since this attack falls under the celebrity stalking laws, it might be good to have an officer present. Did you catch the name of the one you spoke with at the restaurant?” 

“No,” Kara said. 

Cat cleared her throat. “Her name was Detective Sawyer. Maggie Sawyer, and if you’re going to have her present, then you need to come wrangle her. She couldn’t keep her eyes off Kara’s cleavage. If she tries that today, I’ll end up in jail for punching her in her stupid cop face.” 

“I would love to be there.” Alex smirked. She would enjoy seeing Cat Grant, Queen of All Media, acting as the personal champion of Kara’s cleavage honor. 

~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~ 

Alex had come to Cat’s penthouse so she could ride to the local hospital with Cat and Kara. Alex wore a casual outfit of jeans, a polo, and her leather jacket, since she wanted to keep the DEO off of any paperwork. She had begged Kara to wear something low cut, but Kara had rolled her eyes and chosen a yellow sundress decorated with white daisies, covering up with a white cardigan. 

Cat spent the entire trip explaining to Alex--in excruciating detail--the consequences of any future transgressions regarding leaving Kara out of the loop when it came to plans, emergency or otherwise. 

Kara was nervous, but sitting next to Cat seemed to give her more energy than a week under the DEO sunlamps. 

Alex did her level best to ignore the two hickeys on Kara’s neck. Every time Kara turned toward the window, her cardigan shifted and the two marks were dark against Kara’s pale skin. 

Once at the hospital, Alex went in alone and checked on their appointment. It was actually a slow afternoon, so the nurse told her to bring Kara into one of the exam rooms. One short text later, and Alex heard the murmurs from the other patients and staff that could only mean Cat Grant had arrived. 

The nurse pointed to the exam table. “You don’t need to put on a gown as long as we can see the injury.” 

“Thanks.” Kara smiled at the nurse, removed her cardigan, then climbed onto the exam table. 

“The doctor will be in soon,” the nurse said. She handed Cat a clipboard with the registration paperwork and left the room. 

Cat smiled down at the form and began filling it out. 

Alex watched from across the room and noticed that Cat barely paused as she filled in all of Kara’s personal information. She only had to ask Kara to provide one bit of information, her social security number. Alex’s good opinion of Cat quadrupled in that moment. 

When the detective arrived a few minutes later, she found Kara sitting with Cat standing on one side and Alex on the other. “I see you brought your own security,” she said as her greeting. 

“Alex Danvers. I’m her sister, so I guess that makes me the most dangerous security there is.” Alex extended her hand and the detective shook it. 

“Detective Maggie Sawyer.” Maggie’s eyes drifted to Kara’s bare skin and the hickeys. She smirked. “Miss Danvers, Miss Grant, thank you for coming down.” 

“Sure,” Kara said as she swung her legs where they dangled off the side of the table. 

Cat’s eyes never left the detective. “I wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else.” 

Alex chuckled. Cat sent a looked that threatened death at the cute detective and Alex shook her head. “I’ve been hearing about the deadly Cat Grant glare for three years. I thought Kara was imagining it.” 

“It’s a fine glare,” the detective agreed. She kept her gaze on Kara’s face and didn’t let her eyes wander any lower than the stunning blonde’s nose. 

The doctor came in and paused when she saw the large group. “Good afternoon, everyone. I’m Dr. Harris.” She smiled at the detective. “Maggie, you look well.” The doctor was shorter than Alex, with long blonde hair tied up in a neat chignon. She wore glasses, and had a mole just below her bottom lip. 

“Thanks, Doc,” Detective Sawyer said with a smile. “Miss Danvers graciously agreed to meet us here.” 

“Hi,” Kara said. She glanced at Cat. “This is my partner, Cat, and my extremely over-protective sister, Alex.” 

“Nice to meet you all,” Dr. Harris said. She eyed the dressing covering Kara’s forearm. “Mind if we get started?” 

“That’s why we’re here.” Kara’s tone lacked her normal enthusiasm. 

Alex and Cat stood guard on each side of Kara as the doctor washed her hands, and then donned gloves. 

“Okay, where is the injury?” she asked before touching Kara. 

“The top of my arm, right here.” Kara showed her the still-painful wound. 

“Any radiating pain along the sides or bottom of your arm?” Dr. Harris asked as she gently cradled Kara’s elbow. 

“Nope,” Kara said nervously. 

“I take it you don’t see many doctors?” Dr. Harris released Kara, and carefully slid one side of a pair of bandage scissors under the dressing to cut through the gauze. 

“Not professionally,” Kara said. “My mom and my sister are both doctors.” She looked at Alex with a proud smile. “Alex reapplied a dressing this morning so I wouldn’t get an infection on the way over.” 

Alex blushed when Cat’s and Detective Sawyer’s heads swiveled to look at her. 

“Well, I’ll try to give you the same high standard of care she does,” Dr. Harris said. She tossed the dressing into a trashcan, and then turned to examine Kara’s arm. “That looks painful,” she said quietly. “When was your last tetanus shot?” 

Alex moved closer. “She’s current. She got cut by a rusty nail last year and got a booster just to be safe.” 

The doctor studied the wound, then looked to Detective Sawyer. “This won’t need more than a simple cleaning, so you should get your pictures before I rinse the punctures.” 

Detective Sawyer nodded, and Cat edged closer to Kara. 

“This won’t take long,” the detective promised. She took out a small digital camera and a strip of paper with a measuring scale printed on it. It also had Kara’s name and the date written in a small space provided just for that purpose. 

“I’ll hold that,” Alex offered. She took the scale that would give the exact size of the injury and held it so her fingers were not in the image. 

“Thanks,” the detective said. She took three pictures. “Now, move that here,” she said as she guided Alex to place the scale so it showed the width of the wounds. She took three more shots, and then tilted Kara’s arm so the overhead light provided better lighting and then retook both sets of photos again. “That should do it,” she smiled at Alex. “Thanks again.” 

Cat had one hand resting on the small of Kara’s back. “We’re almost done here, darling,” she said quietly, and then kissed Kara’s cheek. 

Alex looked away. 

“What?” the detective asked Alex. “I think they make a cute couple.” 

“She’s not your sister,” Alex said with a cheeky grin. “Totally different for me. I still picture Kara running down the beach, trying to catch the sea spray.” 

Cat smiled as she tried to imagine that scene. 

The doctor cleared her throat. “Sorry to interrupt, but I need to clean this so I can get back to my ER.” She held a huge syringe filled with clear liquid. 

“I hate shots!” Kara scooted away from her on the table. 

“There’s no needle, Einstein,” Alex pointed out, raising one eyebrow at Kara. 

“It’s an irrigation syringe,” the doctor explained, showing Kara the curved tip. “It’s only normal saline. I’ll rinse each would and then dress it and you can be on your way.” She placed an absorbent pad over Kara’s lap. 

Kara nodded but her complexion paled. She reached out for Cat’s hand. 

“This might be cold,” the doctor said as squirted the fluid onto Kara onto her arm. 

“You’re not going to irrigate into the actual punctures are you?” Alex asked. “That’s highly controversial and it can force any foreign bodies deeper.” 

“I am not,” the doctor said tolerantly, trying hard to hide her smile. She used more force to spray the wound and the saline splashed back. “Dr. Danvers, what’s your opinion on prophylactic antibiotics?” 

Alex was quick to answer. “No, she’s had varying reactions to all the major classes--sulfa, penicillin, and every other one we’ve tried. So far, it’s been nothing worse than a rash and an itchy throat, but mom and I are both convinced it’s not worth the risk,” she lied. She had no interest in finding out how Kara’s weakened system would react to human antibiotics. 

“I agree,” Dr. Harris said. She took a large adhesive bandage and placed it over the area. “There you go.” She smiled at Kara. “Change the dressing every day, or if it gets wet or dirty.” 

Cat was unimpressed. “That’s basically an overgrown Band-Aid. Shouldn’t you do something more… medical?”

“Less is more,” the doctor told Cat and then smirked. “If there’s any sign of infection like pain, redness, or fever, just see your regular physician or come back.” She turned to Alex. “I’m sure you’ll make a house call.” 

“Thank you, Dr. Harris,” Kara said sincerely. 

“Thanks,” Alex chimed in. 

Cat stood and helped Kara down from the exam table. “Thank you, Doctor.” 

It took five minutes to fill out the discharge paperwork, and then then Alex led the way toward the exit. She noticed the detective was still lingering. “Did you need something else, Detective?” Alex walked over to the beautiful brunette officer. 

“It’s Maggie,” she said with a coy grin. She eyed Alex’s outfit and her smile grew. “Well, Dr. Danvers, you are rocking those jeans and the leather jacket.” Her eyes finally met Alex’s. “And I thought you looked amazing in your black fatigues.” 

“Shit,” Kara whispered. 

“We are not having this conversation here.” Alex took the detective by the arm and marched her through the emergency room with Cat and Kara following closely behind.  Once outside, Alex didn’t slow; she just continued to the black Suburban in the parking lot, chirped the alarm, and stuffed Detective Maggie Sawyer into the backseat, climbing in next to her. Before Alex could lock the doors, both front doors were yanked open. 

“What the hell is going on?” Cat demanded as she sat in the driver’s seat. It wasn’t lost on anyone that she preferred that position in all of her negotiations. 

Kara climbed into the passenger seat and immediately leaned over the seat, looking pointedly at Alex. 

Detective Sawyer sat quietly and her relaxed manner was enough to infuriate Alex. 

“Start talking,” Alex ordered. 

“Aren’t you going to search me for a weapon?” Maggie asked. 

Alex glared at her. “I noticed your hip was light when you walked into the exam room. There’s no sign of an ankle holster, and your tee-shirt is too tight to hide a shoulder holster or a clam shell behind your back.” 

“Ladies?” Cat asked. Once the two women in the backseat looked at her, she continued. “Obviously, Detective Sawyer is not on the celebrity stalking unit,” she pointed out. 

Maggie nodded.

 Cat dipped her head toward Maggie to acknowledge her admission. “Since you responded to the restaurant, and you weren’t there for Kara or me, you must have been there to make sure the attack wasn’t aimed at Supergirl.” 

Maggie smiled. “You’re as smart as the legends about you say.” 

“So,” Cat continued. “Why are you wasting your time on Kara.” Cat rested a hand on Kara’s shoulder so the younger woman wouldn’t take offense. 

Maggie looked at Alex. “Can I speak now? Or does your secret agency that probably has a three-letter acronym prefer me to remain silent?” 

Alex glared at Maggie and waved a hand as if to say, ‘Continue.’ 

Maggie smirked. “I was tasked with figuring out if Kara and Supergirl are actually the same person,” she explained. “The fact that Supergirl was seen flying and fighting the dock fire while Miss Danvers was being assaulted, wasn’t conclusive.” She pointed at Kara’s arm. “That wound, however, is far more convincing.” 

Kara leaned further toward the backseat. “I’m so glad my getting stabbed cleared things up for you.” Her normally sunny expression was darkened with anger. “Cat could have been killed if that guy had had more than just a fork.” She pointed at Maggie. “Where was the real celebrity stalking unit? Why weren’t they dispatched to follow us home? Why wasn’t a unit outside Cat’s freaking penthouse?” 

“Well…” Maggie began. 

“No!” Kara let out a frustrated growl. “What the hell am I supposed to do to keep her safe?” She held out her bandaged arm, which only reminded Kara that with the regulator in place, if the man had a gun instead of a fork, he could have killed Cat. “Trust me, I wish I was bulletproof so I could protect her.” 

“Look, we had to be sure,” Maggie said firmly. “The fact that your sister works with Supergirl every night? That looks bad for you.” 

Alex couldn’t hold her temper any longer. “Supergirl is an alien that copied my sister’s body! You bet your ass I’m going to be on the front lines making sure that face-stealing Kryptonian toes a very tight line.” 

“Fair point,” Maggie agreed. “So, is she? Toeing the line?” 

“Yes,” Alex said. She let a bit of her righteous indignation leave as she sighed. As a trained agent, she knew using some of her real emotion was the best way to sell a lie. “She’s squeaky clean.” 

“Don’t sound so disappointed,” Cat said with a laugh. 

“Well, I guess the next question is, what do we do now?” Maggie asked. 

“No,” Alex said with a smile that was not kind. “The question is, do I make you disappear down a dark hole or do you tell me who you do work for?” 

Maggie was unfazed. “I _am_ an NCPD detective, but I work for the Science Division.” She pulled her ID from her pocket and held it out to Alex. 

“Like, for science projects?” Kara asked skeptically. 

Maggie, Alex, and Cat glared at Kara. 

“What?” Kara said defensively. “Actually, we could use a Science Division in the current political environment. Do you arrest morons that deny climate change?” 

“I wish,” Maggie muttered as she retrieved her ID and put it away. “We track and contain all of the extraterrestrial threats, mutants, and advanced tech in National City before it can be used to commit crimes.” She turned to Alex and smiled. “I showed you mine, now you show me yours.” 

Alex met Maggie’s eyes, clearly not liking being challenged. “Fine.” She unzipped her jacket as if to retrieve her own ID, but instead, she lifted her shirt and flashed her bra-covered breasts at the detective. Two seconds later, she pulled her clothes back down. “That makes us even, Detective.” She pointed to the door. “Now, if you wouldn’t mind exiting my vehicle?” 

“What?” Maggie demanded. She was stunned by the audacity of the agent, and more than a little distracted by the auburn-haired woman’s toned stomach.

 Alex slid against Maggie, reached across her, and opened the door. “Good day,” she said calmly, though she ached to smirk at her. 

“This isn’t over, Dr. Danvers,” Maggie said as she begrudgingly got out of the vehicle. She slammed the door behind her. 

Cat looked at Alex. “Should I cue the dramatic music?” 

Alex muttered a soft growl. She felt like putting the mouthy detective into a wristlock or maybe pressing her against a wall and… Alex closed her eyes. She had the same sinking feeling she’d had once before, and that particular scouting adventure had gotten her kicked out of the club. 

“Let’s just get the hell out of here,” Alex said. 

“Great,” Cat said excitedly. “I haven’t driven something this big since I was embedded with the infantry in Iraq.” She held out her hand. “Keys?” 

“Not gonna happen.” Alex peered out the window and saw that Maggie was watching with a huge smile. “Fine.” Alex gave the keys to Cat. “Do not put any scratches on it.” 

Cat started the Suburban and shifted it into gear. “Let’s see what you have under the hood.” She stomped on the gas and the tires squealed as she left the parking lot. “Well, we certainly know what you have under your personal hood,” Cat added. “Way to shut down the detective. Flashing her should have occurred to me after the way she was hypnotized by Kara’s cleavage last night.” 

“Not funny,” Alex said as she crossed her arms over her chest petulantly. 

Kara turned and smiled at her sister. “It’s a little funny.” 

“Well, it’s not remotely helpful,” Alex said, mirroring a previous conversation of theirs. 

Kara turned back and secured her seatbelt. She smiled at Cat. “She likes that detective,” she said in a stage whisper. 

Alex exhaled loud enough that people outside the car might have heard her. 

Cat smirked as she merged onto the freeway. She quickly drove across three lanes and pressed the gas pedal to the floor. 

Kara watched, impressed by Cat’s ability to control the huge Suburban. “I know she likes Maggie,” she told Cat. “The last person she flashed was a girl at camp just after I arrived here.” 

“Kara…” Alex’s tone was dangerous. 

“Then they both got kicked out because they got caught making out in their cabin.” Kara giggled. 

Cat looked in the rear-view mirror at met Alex’s eyes. “Still waters run deep,” she said with a smile. 

Alex kept her arms crossed over her chest and her expression could almost qualify as a pout. “Says the woman who branded my baby sister with hickeys.” 

~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~ 

It took almost a week for Kara’s bruising to fade and for the punctures to close and disappear. Kara had truly missed her powers. She had been using the elevator to run errands for Cat at work, and she had bumps and bruises on her legs and arms because she wasn’t used to having a fragile ‘Human’ body.

 Hank had missed Kara’s powers more than she had. He’d threatened to alter Supergirl’s suit by publicly announcing that a skirt over tights was superfluous, and that it impaired the aerodynamics of flight. 

Alex, amused, had responded by suggesting that he add a skirt to his fatigues so he could get used to it. She’d been less amused when Hank had made her hand-wash all of the DEO Suburbans. 

Over the next five months, Cat and Kara fell into a comfortable routine. Kara stayed over at the penthouse or beach house most nights, and many of her clothes had migrated into closets in the spare rooms. On nights when Carter was with his father, Cat stayed with Kara at her loft. It gave Kara time to catch up on any repairs in the building and also gave her a chance to paint. 

Soon, Carter was staying at the loft, too. He looked forward to time with Kara when Cat had to work late. He loved watching Kara paint while he stretched out on the Kryptonian couch to do his homework. Cat would arrive and find her two favorite people content in each other’s company. 

Cat found herself actually enjoying her downtime, which was new for her. She’d gotten where she was in business by never slowing down to catch her breath. Kara gently pointed out that climbing to the top of a media empire was a marathon, not a sprint. Cat had taken the words to heart. 

Cat liked relaxing on the roof on Kara’s in Kryptonian sanctuary. The orange-tinted room was oddly soothing and Cat used the space to work on a few book ideas she’d been putting off for years. 

Kara had never been happier. After her wound healed and she returned to her ‘night job’, she found the new first responder hotline cut the number of Supergirl interventions required in half. When she did intercede, it was for something that truly required her unique powers.  She made a point to still do patrols and help the public with things like cats in trees, or to help someone get their refrigerator up to an upper level apartment. Whenever she and Cat went to events or on dates, Hank took over patrols, cementing their cover story. 

Once the Fort Rozz prisoners had been captured, Kara’s workload decreased dramatically. She found time to work with the United Nations to discuss allowing the former prisoners to settle in various countries. Those who had served their time in the Phantom Zone and hadn’t committed crimes on Earth were easy sells. Non and his followers, though, remained behind bars after their plot to enslave humanity had been thwarted thanks to a last-minute defection from the Kryptonian side. 

Astra had abandoned Non and the other criminals when Non had threatened to use the Black Mercy on Kara. Astra was on a type of probation and worked with the DEO. 

On her downtime, Kara loved working on a sketch or a set of layouts at the counter in Cat’s kitchen while Carter sat next to her, doing homework. It wasn’t lost on her that if she had raised Kal El as originally planned, he would have been close to Carter’s age at this point in Kara’s life. Carter wasn’t a replacement, but Kara realized that she could have raised Kal if circumstances had been different. She would have found a way to make it work. 

Carter’s personality bloomed under Kara’s loving attention. For the first time in his young life, he had an adult other than his mother who loved and supported him unconditionally. Where he had once avoided physical contact, he now craved it. Many times, Cat would come home to find Kara sitting on the couch with her sketchpad while Carter sat on the floor, using Kara’s legs to lean against while he played video games. 

The paparazzi quickly lost interest in the couple. The public’s questions about Supergirl had been answered and most news outlets now saw Kara as a boring footnote in the Supergirl story. There was little public interest in two women who were always happy to be together and who lacked the drama of most celebrity relationships. Oh, they had their moments—arguments kept carefully private—but there was something about being partnered with a person from a different galaxy that made them both eager to work through any disagreements. If fate had chosen to send Kara across the Universe itself to find Cat, well then, who were they to argue? 

Kara remained Cat’s assistant, but she also began officially pre-editing content before it hit Cat’s desk. It was something she’d been doing for years as a way to decrease company firings, but she found she enjoyed it more now, knowing how it lightened Cat’s workload. 

Once Susan Tanner from Human Resources caught wind of Kara’s talent, she immediately recognized Kara’s potential. Since Kara was already acting as a junior editor, she redefined Kara’s position officially, and suggested that Cat hire a second assistant as a receptionist. That would allow Kara more time to improve CATCO content. 

~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~ 

At the end of one very long day, Kara walked into Cat’s office and stopped in front of her desk, waiting patiently while Cat finished her call. 

Cat smiled at Kara, then rolled her eyes when she refocused on the conversation at hand. “Yes, Mother, Kara is half my age. You’ve pointed that out dozens of times over the last five months. If I were a son and not your daughter, you’d be congratulating me instead of complaining that I’ve embarrassed you in front of your publishing friends.” 

Kara moved beside Cat and gathered her things so they could go to the penthouse as soon as the call was over. 

“Really?” Cat asked, her tone scandalized. “So, you’d be fine with me dating Supergirl, but not the human her appearance is based upon?” Cat’s body stilled. 

Kara looked at her lover and knew Cat’s expression did not bode well for the elder Grant. Cat radiated anger.

“If you ever suggest again that Kara is ‘nothing’--especially to the press--I will put every attorney in National City on retainer to sue you every day for the rest of your miserable life.” 

Cat paused for a split second. “No, you listen,” Cat interrupted with chilling calm. “Kara and I have been in love for years. The fact we didn’t inform you shows our intelligence and foresight. If Carter knew that you were trying to use him to hurt Kara, he’d despise you as much as I do.” 

“Don’t tempt me,” Cat said after a short pause. “You might want to tread lightly considering Kara may actually be your daughter-in-law before you ever have the chance to ‘talk her out of her misguided May-December romance.’ And yes, I am serious.” 

Kara’s eyes widened. 

Cat smiled at her lover. “And now I have to hang up, Mother. My astonishingly beautiful partner just walked into the room.” She hung up the phone and turned toward Kara, regret in her eyes. “I’m so sorry that came out while I was talking to my mother.” 

Kara knelt beside Cat. “Have you thought about it?” 

Cat’s expression softened and she smiled. “Of course, darling.” 

“So have I.” Kara nodded once, and her eyes narrowed as she considered Cat’s admission. Finally, Kara took Cat’s hand and looked into her eyes. “I only plan to hear this question once in my life, Cat.” She smirked when Cat blushed. “So, I expect to hear that question in some horribly romantic, cliché, Lifetime movie way.” 

“Kara!” Cat actually whined. 

Kara stood and backed toward the door. “You tell me, when Ellen DeGeneres interviews us, do you want to tell her you proposed by accident during a fight with your bitch of a mother?” 

Cat closed her eyes and dropped head forward. “No,” she said quietly. She opened her eyes and glared at Kara. “But I refuse to do anything in the style of a Lifetime movie.” 

“It better be horribly romantic. Maybe Disney-inspired?” Kara suggested. “Oh! You could come riding in on a handsome horse, dressed in that uniform the prince wore when he found Cinderella in the latest movie,” Kara said with a huge grin. She continued backing away. “Are you coming with me, or am I taking your town car to the penthouse alone?” 

“So brazen.” Cat’s voice was husky and her eyes practically devoured Kara. “You really think I’ll cave to your every whim?” 

“I do,” Kara said cheekily. “Because you know I would do the same for you.” 

Cat stood and tucked her purse under one arm. “And if my whim includes not being a romantic fool?” She moved to Kara’s side and gave her a challenging gaze. 

“You’d only be a fool if I said no,” Kara said logically. She pressed a brief kiss to Cat’s lips. “That will never happen.” 

“Good to know,” Cat said cryptically. “Let’s go home.” She took Kara’s hand and led her through the bullpen to her private elevator. “By the way, there is no horse or Disney costume in either of our futures.” 

“Fine,” Kara said with a playful eye roll. 

When they exited the front doors of the CATCO building, there were a few paparazzi. They often showed up on slow news days, but usually didn’t bother with photos. 

Kara put herself between Cat and the yelling press. “No photos,” Kara said as she held out her hand to block their view. 

“She’s starting to think she actually is Supergirl,” a woman yelled a she rushed closer and took an unending flurry of photos of Kara’s outstretched arm. 

Cat turned her head glared at her security officers as they rushed out of the building. She pulled Kara to her side as the two men moved to intercept the paparazzi. “Kara, get in the car,” she called out. 

“You first,” Kara said as she guided Cat into the back of the town car and then hopped in beside her. “Go,” Kara told the driver. 

Cat looked at the scene as they pulled away. “I’m firing those security officers,” she said angrily. 

“You can’t,” Kara said quickly. “I forgot to call them before we came down. They had no idea we were about to leave.” She looked down at her hands in her lap. “I should have checked to find out if we needed to use the underground exit.” 

Cat rested a hand on Kara’s leg. “You don’t have to handle everything yourself, darling. Let Miss Tessmacher know to alert security when we’re ready to leave.” 

Kara nodded. She liked Cat’s new receptionist. She was smart and dedicated to doing her best for Cat.

When they arrived at the penthouse, Carter met them at the front door with a huge smile. 

“Hurry up and get changed!” he insisted before they’d even had time to greet him. 

“I’m so glad you’re not excited about going to the planetarium or anything.” Kara laughed and picked him up, carrying him toward the living room. 

“No powers in the house,” Carter said, but his warning was muted by his huge smile. 

Alex was on the couch with Eliza. “She always breaks that rule,” Alex said helpfully. 

Cat moved past Kara, who had shifted her hold on Carter and was holding him aloft over her head as if he were flying. Cat smiled when she reached the two Danvers on the couch. “How did Carter rope you two into a night of boring science?” 

“You’re kidding, right?” Eliza asked. 

“Science rocks,” Alex said in an offended tone. “We Danvers are all about the science.” 

Cat rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. “How did I end up surrounded by nerds?” She turned toward Kara. “As much as I would love an excuse to avoid a night of Planetarium education, I do not want to spend the night in ER.” 

Kara caught Carter, who she had just tossed almost to the vaulted ceiling. “Sorry,” she said and settled him onto his feet. 

“Sorry, Mom,” Carter said. “It’s like having my own personal amusement park ride,” he added wickedly. 

“Yeah, Cat,” Alex said. Her expression was wicked in a different way. She mouthed, “Sexually,” once she was sure Carter couldn’t see. 

Cat stared into Alex’s eyes. “Trust me, I know,” she mouthed and then she turned and hurried down the hall to the master bedroom to change. 

Once the group arrived at the National City Planetarium, Cat realized that she was basically in charge of wrangling an out of control group of science crazed children, and she was horrified that instead of helping her, Eliza was leading the charge as they all ran from exhibit to exhibit. The trip had been planned for more a month, and Cat was surprised to realize how much she enjoyed watching her family run between exhibits, with Alex and Eliza squealing the loudest of them all. 

Kara paused and looked back at Cat with a radiant smile. She jogged back to her and fell in at her side. “Thank you, so much,” Kara said as she pulled Cat into a tight hug. 

Cat rested one arm on Kara’s shoulder and threaded her fingers through Kara’s golden hair. She caressed Kara’s cheek with her other hand. “I would buy a dozen planetariums if it would make you smile like this every day.” She placed a slow kiss on Kara’s lips, but didn’t deepen it. When she pulled back, Kara whimpered. 

Kara blushed. “I can’t believe you rented the entire place,” she said in a scandalized tone. 

“With the way Carter’s eyes lit up when he found out about the _Journey Through the Stars_ production?” Cat laughed. “Even if I was willing to fight crowds to take him, once you started bouncing around like a puppy with a new toy, I knew I was in trouble.” 

“You’re kind of a pushover,” Kara whispered. “And once Alex heard we were going, well, it did kind of spiral out of control.” She bit her lip. “Sorry?”

“Don’t be,” Cat said firmly. “I know how much this ever-growing ship of fools means to you.” She saw the door open and sighed. “Though, honestly, I have no idea why you tolerate a few of them.” 

Kara turned her head and smiled at Winn and James as they made their way inside. “They really are sweet,” Kara whispered. 

Cat draped her hand around Kara’s hip. “Forgive me if I’m less than comfortable with two of the men who tried to date you hanging around--despite the fact that they couldn’t find their way out of the friendzone with a map, a guide, and GPS.” 

“Cat, first of all, I put them in a friendzone so permanent it’s worse than the Phantom Zone.” Kara nuzzled Cat’s neck as Winn and James scurried past afraid to interrupt. “Secondly, they will be waiting forever.” She eased back and met Cat’s gaze. “You’re kind of stuck with me.” 

Cat’s expression softened. “For that, I am infinitely grateful.” 

Kara saw Alex come around the corner with Carter in a playful headlock. Kara’s smile faltered. “Maybe we should have invited Maggie,” she said quietly. 

Cat shook her head. “They’ve only been dating a month.” her eyes narrowed. “Alex agrees with me. Until we are absolutely sure of her intentions, you are remaining Kara Danvers, Supergirl’s human analog.” 

“I know,” Kara agreed. “It’s just, you know, science.” She shrugged. “Maggie is a science cop.” 

Cat leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Kara’s forehead. “Tonight is for you and Carter. Plus, with half the DEO coming, someone would have let something slip.” 

“Not true,” Kara said with a laugh. “It’s just Susan, Hank, and a few others.” She frowned. “Though Susan was about to ask how my rescue went when I came late to game night.” She scowled in the general direction she’d last seen the agent. “Right in front of Maggie.” 

“Yes, well, I had a little talk with Susan,” Cat said darkly. 

Kara laughed and grabbed Cat in a playful hug. “My hero.” 

As if she’d heard Kara’s words, Susan Vasquez came into the hall from the main entrance escorting Astra. The Kryptonian required an official escort and a kryptonite cuff whenever she left the DEO. 

“Little One,” Astra said with a smile. She hurried to Kara and they exchanged a long hug. “Thank you for inviting me,” she whispered as they moved apart. 

Kara blushed. “It’s science,” she said as if that was the perfect justification. 

Astra’s laugh made Kara’s entire face light up. 

“You belong here,” Cat said as she reached out and squeezed Astra’s hand. 

“Thank you, Littler One.” Astra smirked. 

Cat sighed and rolled her eyes. 

Kara snorted at the nickname. She found it hysterical, which was the only reason Cat tolerated it. 

Astra’s expression grew serious. “Cat, I am so happy to be here with my niece and her family. I know Kara asked you before she invited me.” She gave Cat a tiny bow, which Cat had learned was a Kryptonian show of respect. 

“You’re welcome,” Cat said, then added, “Freakishly Tall One.” 

“Come on!” Carter yelled. Alex’s headlock had morphed into a tussling hug. “They’ll start without you.” 

“Oh, my god,” Kara said in a panic. She started to bolt, but a gentle squeeze of Cat’s hand was enough to hold her in place. 

“They won’t start without us,” Cat promised. She held Kara’s hand and walked slowly toward where Carter had disappeared again. “We paid for the entire night, and they won’t start until we’re all there.” 

“Good point,” Kara said with a smile as they leisurely walked toward the auditorium. She glanced back and widened her eyes at Vazquez and Astra as they lagged behind, giving them an unspoken ‘Hurry up!’ 

Once into the vast domed auditorium, they settled in their seats next to the others.  The small group was packed together in what the curator had insisted was the best location for the viewing. Cat took the opportunity to give Kara a pathetic pout, which caused Kara to instantly raise her arm so Cat could snuggle closer. 

“Typical spies,” Cat whispered. “The DEO agents are in the back row protecting our six.” 

Kara let out a bark of laughter and then snorted. When she stopped giggling she leaned close to Cat’s ear. “Vasquez, I mean, Susan, is putting the moves on that new probationary agent.” 

Cat twisted around to look, and sure enough, Susan was giving Astra her most charming smile. 

The entire room went dark and then they were surrounded as if in the center of the Milky Way. Cat gasped. 

“I know,” Kara whispered. “It’s totally cool.” 

Carter leaned across Kara to explain. “It’s the Zeiss Universarium Mark IX star projector, and it has all-dome digital animation.” He pointed at the ceiling. “It’s projected through two Digistar 3 digital laser projectors from Evans & Sutherland.” 

Cat narrowed her eyes at Kara. “Did he take a job here as a tour guide?” 

“No,” Kara promised. “He’s just been studying the website for weeks.” 

The group listened to the narration as it took them on a tour of Earth’s solar system. It occurred to Cat too late that it might remind Kara of her time in her pod. 

Cat looked at Kara, and any worries she had about the accidental re-traumatization of the Kryptonian evaporated. The beautiful blonde had a look of awe and wonder as she turned her head to catch every single bit of the show. 

A quick glance at Carter confirmed he was twisting in his seat to take in the view as eagerly as Kara. 

After almost an hour, the view reversed and headed quickly through the planets toward Earth. When the music ended and the lights slowly came up, everyone was still under the spell of the show they’d seen. 

“Run it again,” Cat said loudly. 

The rowdy group around her cheered. 

The auditorium went dark again, and stars appeared, but there was no music this time. The view of a night sky radiated in every direction, but the two moons just above the horizon in the south were tinted red like the sun that provided their reflected light. 

Kara stood up and spun, gazing at the entire expanse with wonder. “How?” she whispered. 

Cat stood next to her and pulled her into a hug. “Alex,” she whispered. “She’s been working on it with Astra and your mother’s AI for over a month.” 

Kara turned and beamed at Astra. The older woman was staring at the starscape lost in her own memories.  Kara tilted her head and looked at a sky she had last seen with her parents at her side. She pointed at a constellation and laughed, then covered her mouth. “That’s the Dragon’s Eye,” she said happily. 

“It doesn’t make you sad, darling?” Cat asked cautiously. 

Kara shook her head and pulled Cat along until they were in the aisle. “Carter, look. See that bright star next to the smaller moon? That’s Kara. That’s the star I’m named after.” 

Everyone stood to follow the two women to the aisle, sharing in Kara’s memories of her home world. 

Cat squeezed Kara’s hand. “Even I know what that is,” Cat said nervously. She was pointing to the larger moon. “That’s Yuda.” 

“It is,” Kara said with a smile. “She’s the goddess of love, fertility, marriage, and birth--and about a dozen other things.” 

“Sounds like Mom,” Carter said with a giggle. 

Kara shook her head. “Yuda is a moon. Your mom is a real goddess.” 

“Well, I’m actually disappointed you feel that way,” Cat said with a nervous laugh. “Being as this entire thing was arranged weeks in advance so I could do this properly.” 

“It’s perfect,” Alex yelled. 

“The Brave One is correct!” Astra yelled, getting in on the fun. 

Cat took a deep breath and exhaled as Kara studied her curiously.  Then she took both of Kara’s hands in her own, bringing each one to her lips and kissing it reverently. She smiled when she heard Kara let out a surprised squeak. 

Cat looked at the larger moon. “Kara Zor-El Danvers, under the blessing of Yuda’s light, I offer myself to you.” She turned to Carter and took a bracelet he extended. “I offer all that I have, all that I know, and all I will ever be. I offer this with an open heart. I ask that you take me into the noble house of El so that both our houses will grow stronger, together.” 

Kara was smiling but had tears sliding down each cheek. 

Astra smiled proudly. She had taught Cat the words to a proper Kryptonian proposal. 

“Will you marry me?” Cat asked as she paused with the bracelet extended. 

Kara nodded but couldn’t find her voice. 

“I can arrange to get the entire cast of Cinderella here by Monday if that will sweeten the deal,” Cat offered with a smirk. 

Kara moved closer until she was flush against Cat’s body and kissed her. They continued kissing as if they were alone in the universe. 

“Hey, you’re scarring the kid,” Alex yelled. “I think Winn just had an aneurysm, and Mom’s been holding her breath waiting for you to answer. You have about twelve seconds before she faints.” 

Kara slowly broke the kiss, and the two women sighed contentedly as they looked at one another. 

“Well?” Cat asked. 

Kara was still shell shocked, but she smiled at Cat. 

“Will you?” Cat asked, though she knew the answer. 

“Oh!” Kara said. She spun around and realized that Eliza did look quite faint. She spun back to Cat. “Yes! Of course, yes!” 

The gathered group yelled their approval and there was a smattering of applause. They all came closer and hugs were exchanged. Cat put the bracelet on Kara’s wrist, which was the Kryptonian custom. She handed a matching one to Kara, which Kara placed on Cat’s wrist with a reverence that made Cat lightheaded. 

Vasquez wrapped a supportive arm around Astra’s waist when she wiped tears from her eyes. 

For the next few hours, Kara--sprawled on the floor with Carter tucked under one arm--excitedly shared happy stories of her childhood on Krypton. She pointed out stars and told everyone how her father had taught her their names before she could pronounce them herself. Before she could walk, even! As she pointed out each cluster, Cat, tucked under Kara’s other arm, nestled closer to Kara. 

Alex and Eliza were on the floor with their heads resting near the top of Kara’s so they could listen. 

Further up the aisle, Astra sat on the floor with Susan Vasquez, whispering her own stories of the dead planet. 

The rest of the group filtered out, giving the extended family a chance to learn Krypton’s history more deeply while they created some of their own. 

Cat couldn’t stop grinning like the village idiot. The fact that she was reclining on a carpet that thousands of strangers had walked on didn’t even occur to her. She watched Kara and Carter while they looked at Krypton’s sky. She listened as Kara explained each star, her voice filled with love, and she watched as Carter drank in Kara’s teachings. He was enraptured by the new information, but his eyes were drawn always back to Kara’s face and he would smile at her as if she was a gift he would have never dared to ask for, but had always wanted. 

Cat realized she would willingly lie on a New York subway floor if the two people she loved most continued to look as happy as they did at that moment.

~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~~SC~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Planetarium based on http://www.griffithobservatory.org/index.html


End file.
